Chapter Text
The look on Spotlight’s face could only be described as complete adoration. Nico could see the heart eyes popping out of his head. Lips parted in a tiny “oh”, Spotlight reached up, tucking a strand of Nico’s hair behind his ear.
Nico batted his hand away, trying to get the superhero on his feet.
“Are you hurt?”
Spotlight looked down at where Nico had taken his hands to help him up. A blush erupted over his cheeks, the pink glow– a literal glow, probably a side effect of his powers– shining out from underneath the edges of his domino mask.
Nico rolled his eyes. He didn’t have time for this. He should just leave Spotlight and go, before the police showed up.
Why wasn’t he going?
“Are you hurt?” Nico repeated, letting the agitation bleed into his voice. He was pretty sure that, in this state, Spotlight was too stupid to pick up on it.
“If I am, will you take care of me?” Spotlight actually seemed flustered, like Nico was propositioning him, instead of just standing in front of him, holding his– oh.
Nico quickly dropped Spotlight’s hands, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants. Spotlight’s hands were warm. Spotlight’s bright, enamored stare didn’t dim in the slightest at the rejection. Nico half-expected him to try and brush another strand of hair behind Nico’s ear.
Gods, Nico had to get out of here.
He really should’ve left Spotlight to die when he had the chance, the Sons of Seven be damned. Nico was pretty sure he could take all of them in a fight, anyway.
“Well, you’re not dead, so I’ve done enough. I’m leaving.” Hopefully the love spell wouldn’t kill Spotlight for getting rejected, or something. That seemed exactly like something Eros would do.
Nico stepped away from Spotlight, locating the nearest shadow, all but lunging for it as Spotlight frantically protested.
He just managed to catch a glimpse of the inside of his base before getting tackled to the ground by a warm, heavy weight dressed head to toe in migraine-inducing yellow.
Nico opened his eyes, groaning at the sight of Spotlight’s shockingly blue eyes staring back into his.
“Sorry,” Spotlight said sheepishly, making no move to get off Nico.
Nico sighed, pushing Spotlight off of him. Spotlight winced, reminding Nico of the wound he’d suffered. Either Spotlight was a fast healer or the suit had some sort of healing capabilities, because now that the arrow had been removed and Spotlight was talking, the injury didn’t seem that bad.
They were in the main room of Nico’s base: a small, underground place with enough weapons, supplies, and space to let him plan in peace.
He’d brought one of Lester’s guys to his secret base. Gods, Nico was so screwed. He prayed Eros had attached a memory-wiper to that arrow– and Nico was also praying that the effects of this love potion would actually wear off, so that a memory wipe would be needed. He didn’t think he’d be able to handle lovesick Spotlight for a day, much less the rest of his life.
Spotlight was wandering around, an awed expression on his face– well, the lower half of his face, anyway– as he stared at the blank brick walls of Nico’s base.
Nico watched him with a frown as he grabbed the spare bandages out of his medical cabinet. Spotlight was inching closer towards the one thing that dominated the walls– the display case that held the weaponized weaknesses of all the superheroes Nico had ever fought.
“What are all these?” Spotlight asked, hand reaching out to touch the wooden handle of the glass doors.
Nico raced over, slapping Spotlight’s hand away from the door before he could open it and kill himself with one of the weapons inside.
Spotlight stared at the spot on his hand like Nico had given him a kiss there.
“They’re dangerous,” Nico said, jerking his head towards a particularly vicious enchanted stick that sat in the middle of the glass display case.
Spotlight looked up at Nico, cradling his hand in his chest, a shy, almost flirty smile on his face. Nico was really getting sick of that smile.
“I can handle dangerous.”
It was official– this was the worst thing that had ever happened to Nico.
“Nice try, Spotlight, but I’m too dangerous for you.”
Nico pulled away from the wall of weapons, hoping Spotlight would follow suit. Luckily, the lovestruck hero did, and Nico maneuvered him closer to the small, round table that sat in the middle of the room.
“I don’t think you are.” Spotlight jumped up to sit on the table, his legs swinging as if trying to brag about how totally comfortable he felt in Nico’s evil, dangerous villain lair.
Nico raised his eyebrow. “You don’t think I’m dangerous? I could kill you in a second.”
It would certainly be one way to solve this love potion problem, Nico thought sullenly. He took a clean rag to Spotlight’s chest, trying to wipe away the blood smeared on the front of his suit.
“You wouldn’t,” Spotlight said, still grinning, his breath warm against Nico’s face. Nico pulled back sharply. “We’re soulmates.”
“That’s the arrow talking.”
Spotlight shook his head. “An arrow wouldn’t explain why I trust you so much. This is true love. You’re everything to me.”
Spotlight leaned forward, and Nico took several quick steps back. Would it be too cowardly to run and hide in his own base? Spotlight sat back again, and Nico edged closer, trying to get close enough to Spotlight’s chest to properly clean him up without getting within kissing distance.
“Trust?” Nico repeated dryly. “You shouldn’t trust me with anything. I kill people. I get them killed.”
“I trust you more than anyone else in my life.”
Spotlight’s hand fell on Nico’s wrist, keeping him in place, the warmth of his skin seeping through the layers of Nico’s costume. Nico looked up, locking eyes with Spotlight through his mask. His eyes were bright blue, with no trace of doubt, or disgust, just pure softness and, yeah, trust. Like Nico was a hero. Like he was Percy, not the guy blamed for his death.
It was deeply unsettling.
Nico still hadn’t pulled his hand away. His chest was getting warm. His heart raced. His stomach swooped. He was so, so…unsettled right now.
Eyes still locked on Nico, Spotlight raised their hands, his tan fingers intertwining with Nico’s pale ones.
Nico yanked his hand away, busying himself with the nearly-empty first aid kit, and trying to pretend like he didn’t immediately miss the warmth. Fuck, Spotlight was more dangerous than he thought.
“I do trust you. I’ll even prove it to you.”
Nico froze. This did not sound good.
Spotlight’s hands were reaching up, and Nico flinched, thinking he was about to have his hand held again– but no, it was worse than that, Spotlight’s fingers were headed straight for the bottom edges of his domino mask.
Nico balked. Nope, he wasn’t doing this, he wasn’t letting an enchanted Spotlight reveal his freaking secret identity to Nico. Nico grabbed Spotlight, pushing him into a chair and grabbing the nearest thing that could be used as a rope.
Spotlight went perfectly still as Nico tied him to the chair, something that did not make Nico feel better– or less gross– in the slightest. Nico didn’t have to see Spotlight’s face to see that his bright red blush was back.
Nico felt his own face heating up as he stepped away. “Stop looking at me like that.”
“My name is Will Solace.”
Nico resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands. His ears replayed the sound of Spotlight’s– Will’s– slight accent curling around the sounds of his name.
“Shut up! I’m not dealing with you revealing your identity or anything else.”
Will Solace’s eyes were transfixed on Nico’s lips. “Okay.”
Nico was going to kill Eros for making this arrow. “I need to grab more first aid stuff. Don’t move.”
“You’re leaving me?” And just like that, Will Solace’s eyes were already watering.
Nico rolled his own eyes. “I’ll be back. This is literally my base.”
Will Solace cocked his head to the side, the teary eyes apparently all dried up after the reassurance. “Are we going to have to share a bed?”
He looked so hopeful. Nico wasn’t letting him anywhere near his unconscious self.
“Absolutely not.”
“I’m a great cuddler. I’m really warm.”
“I don’t need a space heater,” Nico protested, backing away from Will as he eagerly leaned forward, straining against his bonds.
“I’m useful for plenty of other things, though. I can light up in dark spaces. I can–”
Nico wasn’t afraid to say he ran. He really did have to get more first aid supplies.
When Nico returned, holding a grocery bag with fresh bandages and painkillers, he used the back entrance– mostly so he could re-don his mask before seeing Will– Spotlight. Even if Spotlight was under a love potion now, Nico wasn't going to take any chances with what happened once it wore off.
Nico was praying it would wear off.
He stopped just outside the room Will was in– his head was slumped over, messy strands of blond hair hanging down, and his hands were unmoving behind his back.
Was he asleep or dead?
Before Nico could race forward, one of Will's hands twitched in the bonds holding them behind his back. Then, the other twitched.
Nico hung back, his heart flying in his chest. Statistically, there was a good chance Will was still under a love potion. But if he wasn't…Nico's grip tightened around the plastic handle. He might as well prepare for the fight.
Will was definitely awake now, judging from the movement of his hands around the rope, but his head was still bowed.
Will stilled. Then, a pulse of light steadily began to grow from one of his hands, a yellow ball, small and contained.
Nico cocked his head to the side as the ball of light began to intensify in color, becoming more of an orange.
Nico smiled. He was burning through the ropes.
The ropes fell away, charred ends hanging, but Will stayed in the chair.
Yeah, he definitely wasn't under the love potion anymore. This was too smart for that.
Nico leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. “Did Pythias teach you that?”
Will jumped, getting out of the chair and whirling around to face Nico. His mask clattered to the ground, and Will picked it up quickly, sliding it back into place on his face. It didn't do much to erase the memory of his constellation of freckles, and Nico could still see the bright blue of his eyes through the mask, but Nico could appreciate the attempt, he supposed.
“I've got plenty of tricks up my sleeve that Pythias didn't teach me,” Will said, his fists clenched. “Would you like to try it?”
Nico's eyes darted to the red stain still marring the front of Will's costume. The spell probably gave Will a hit of euphoria to help with the pain, but it was wearing off now, and Nico could tell.
Nico jerked his head, motioning towards the hallway behind him. “It's the second right.”
Will didn't move, still staring Nico down with a determined, gritted-teeth glare. “What is?”
“The exit, dumbass.”
Will still didn't move, and Nico rolled his eyes. Yes, Will was definitely not in love with him anymore.
That was a good thing. Nico crossed his arms a little tighter across his chest.
“You're in my base, and you're hurt. We can fight if you want, but you’ll lose.”
“What did you do to me?”
Nico scoffed. “I didn’t do anything to you.”
“You took my mask off,” Will accused, his tone biting.
Nico froze. If he didn’t remember taking his own mask off, then Will didn’t remember anything he said or did under the love potion. He wouldn’t even remember there was in the first place.
Nico’s hands burned with the memory of Will’s touches. Except, no, those hadn’t really been Will’s touches, had they? They’d all been some sick manifestation of Eros’s twisted little love arrow. One of these days, Nico really was going to kill that guy.
“Second door on the right,” Nico repeated. “I’ll give you two minutes. After that, next time I see you, I will kill you.”
Will was still staring at Nico when he brushed past him. Nico let the plastic bag fall from his hands, squeezing his eyes shut. He could still feel Will’s bright blue gaze burning into him long after the other man left.