Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Will should've declined. 

He didn't know why, but he accepted the funeral invitation when Giovanni's parents gave it to his mother to give to him. His father, Apollo, tried to talk him out of it, saying it wouldn't do him any good to be around his family, and he was probably right. 

He could barely walk, still on crutches and occasionally in a wheelchair if his foot was hurting too much. The bruises around Will's neck from Giovanni choking him were gone, but he could still feel his hands. His wounds on his head were more or less healed, but Will had resorted to wearing hats since areas of his head were shaven. His hair hadn't fully grown in, and Will didn't want to explain why his hair was a mess. 

His biggest issue was his hand. His bandages reached up to his forearms, and Will had resorted to wearing jackets and a single glove. Will ignored any curious people who asked, no matter how rude it was. Will had more than enough reason not to go, but he insisted. 

So, Apollo drove him, and Nico went along simply because he was curious about Giovanni's family. Gio never shared his past with Nico, but it made sense since Giovanni viewed his relationship with Nico as physical. Will shed some light on Giovanni's family. 

They weren't present. 

Giovanni grew up too fast and was left on his own a lot, which was how Gio got away with the things he did. That's why Will's mother never knew about the things he did. Will mentioned they were okay people, but Gio usually gets what he wants without arguing, which is probably why Giovanni had a harder time letting go of Will. 

He had nothing to control if Will left him, and he knew better than to try that with Nico. 

"It explains a lot, now that I'm thinking about it," was what Will had mumbled after explaining a bit about Gio's parents. Nico had asked what he meant, but Will was no longer sharing, so Nico backed off. 

Will just needed time, and that was fine. 

However, he doesn't think attending Giovanni's funeral was beneficial. 

Apollo pulled up to an old white church with a gold cross right above the door. The parking lot was packed with cars, and groups of people were flooding inside the building. The thought of being around people he didn't know, at least in this setting, was uncomfortable. He was already feeling the urge of not wanting to be touched creeping up. 

It was bad enough that he was dressed formally for this event, but to an extent. He didn't care much about this funeral, considering he was the one who took Giovanni's life. 

But this was for Will, so he was going to suck it up for now. 

Apollo parked and sighed. He didn't want to be there either. He wasn't going to go inside because he didn't want any fans bothering him, nor expose himself that he was Will's father. Some knew, but he wasn't up for the attention. "I'll be here when you're ready to leave. Leave for any reason, don't force yourself to sit through this." Apollo told Will. Will nodded, but Nico wasn't sure if Will heard him. 

Nico got out of the car first to help Will out. Will had wanted to minimize any questions, so he had left behind his crutches and wore his medical boot, though Nico was going to help him and make sure Will was sitting most of his time here. He wore a beanie to cover his head to hide his hair, and his coat sleeve hid his wraps, a glove covering one hand. The shoulder Will was shot in was healing well enough for him to use his arm, but Nico was going to make sure he did the bare minimum. 

They walked slowly to the church, Will already feeling eyes on him. He wasn't sure if Giovanni's parents shared what Giovanni did to him during his last night alive, but Will didn't care. He came to make sure Giovanni was there, dead like Nico had told him a month ago. Those investigators tried to connect Nico to foul play since Will called him and not the police. Then, when they realized Gio didn't inhale any smoke. 

They questioned Nico to try to get a different story.

They questioned Pluto since he brought in Will and Nico to the hospital, but left a presumably dead body. 

They questioned Will to make him crack. 

They all stuck to their stories, and it was eventually dropped. The rain had washed away any other evidence, and Pluto's people presented the scene exactly as their story suggested. Gio died by fire. Case closed. 

But Will, he needed to see the casket. He needed to see Gio get buried. He could hardly sleep at night because he was afraid Gio was coming to get him, afraid he would wake up back at that house, afraid everyone he loved would be dead by the time he woke up. 

He was starting to hate when the sun went down. 

As they entered the church, Will looked at the closed casket. It was a beautiful cream casket with tan details. White flowers rested on top, while next to the casket was a photo of Giovanni from his college days. Will remembered it. Giovanni was happy to go to his school of choice. He had joked that he picked the school because of the parties, but did like their programs and opportunities. 

As horrible as he was, Giovanni was smart. 

"Will?" Nico wondered if now would be a good time to turn around since he felt Will was hesitating to move forward, but Will shook his head. Will moved forward to get closer to the casket. Nico held onto him, but looked around. He recognized a few of Gio's friends from college, but that was all. As for everyone else, many looked at Will, most shocked he was here and gossiping. 

Nico was ready to go home already. 

Will ignored the talk, only focusing on the casket when they were closer. He placed a hand on it with a shaky breath, not sure what he was expecting. "Is he dead?" Will whispered. Nico tightened his hold on Will. He remembered Giovanni's last words. 

How he said that they were alike. 

It scared him every day, always making sure those words won't come true. They both loved Will, but Gio's was more controlling. They both loved how brightly Will shone, but Gio wanted to keep it to himself. Nico did too, but tried not to. He was a jealous person, but didn't want to isolate Will. 

He didn't want to suffocate him. 

"Yes, he's dead. I promise." Nico quietly reassured. He looked at Gio in the eyes when he took his last breath. He remembered the warm blood on his hands, hearing Gio choke, the sight itself bringing him evil joy to see that man die. 

His only regret was that he wished he had done more now that he knew what Gio did to Will. He didn't know at the time, but he did what he could during the ten minutes Will gave him. 

He taunted that man with sick joy. He broke a few fingers to make Gio yell in pain, cut his tendon to make him helpless, something to make him feel just a little of how Will felt. Stuck blades in his hands to turn him off from trying to fight back, a blade between his legs since he never took care of Will sexually, even making poor Will bleed. 

He had asked if he enjoyed causing Will pain, slamming another blade on his thigh when Gio didn't answer fast enough. He never did answer that question, opting to spit at Nico, so Nico took his eye. Giovanni screamed the loudest during that time, and Nico enjoyed every second. 

When his ten minutes were close to being up, Nico was just going to shoot him until Giovanni said his last words, then choose to kill him up close so Giovanni could take a good look at his killer. 

That fucker was dead.

Will nodded, taking his hand off the casket. Nico guided him to an aisle seat so it would be easier to leave. In the pew, no one could bump into him, hurting him more. Will was already on painkillers, but Nico's social battery was low, which meant he had a short fuse if anyone managed to hurt Will more. 

"Hey, Nico? Can I get a kiss?" Will asked, wanting comfort. The question was strange, but understandable. Nico wasn't sure if Will would like to display any affection around Gio's family, and Will probably thought Nico wouldn't like to around strangers. 

Nico would never say no to a kiss. 

Nico leaned down to kiss Will's lips. They had slowed down on touching and loving on each other so Will could heal more, but when they did, it was precious. Will may be going through self-esteem issues, but Nico would be happy to remind Will that he was beautiful, lovable, and his. The softness of his lips, the quiet hum, and the closeness they shared were enough to satisfy him until Will was better. 

"I love you, Will," Nico whispered, planting one last kiss on his head. Will smiled up at Nico, about to respond, but got distracted by Gio's parents coming over. Nico noticed and stayed standing, just in case, but Will told him to let him do the talking. If Will was up for it, then fine. 

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Romano," Will greeted. Giovanni was a handsome man, so it made sense that his parents were the same. Gio took after his father, but his father was a burly man with trimmed black hair and a sharp, trimmed beard that outlined his jaw. Nico's first thought was that this man was compensating for something. Maybe he was appearing richer than he was. 

As for the wife... she had tears in her eyes, but she wasn't devastated. Her eyes were red enough to say she cried, and tissues were balled up in her hands, but her outfit was an attention grabber, not modest. 

No wonder Giovanni latched onto Will. 

These people weren't genuine. 

"William, I'm glad you came. It's been a while since we last saw each other." Mr. Romano said, his voice deep. His hazel eyes seemed glad Will was here. 

"A few years. I'm only here out of respect. Your son will be missed." Will voiced. 

Not by me, Nico thought, but kept his thoughts to himself. 

"This is Nico di Angelo, my boyfriend," Will introduced. Nico stuck out his hand to shake their hand, the wife looking him up and down. 

"You moved on quite fast. I hope you take care of William just as our dear Giovanni did." Mrs. Romano said. 

Oh, so she's delusional, Nico concluded. 

"He's Giovanni's ex of three years. I figured he had much of every right to be here." Will revealed, and Nico couldn't hide his smile. He loves it when Will gets snarky. The wife blushed at the added knowledge that her "precious son" cheated.

"I'll be sure to take great care of Will, ma'am," Nico added while smirking. He worked hard to get rid of Gio. He was going to do a much better job. The wife frowned and backed away as if she had briefly seen the devil. Hopefully, that would be enough for her to be respectful towards Will for the rest of the day. Nico looked towards the husband. 

"I met Giovanni met during our Italy trip. He was a smart and wonderful guy to be around. Very friendly." Nico said, trying his best to sound genuine. He sucked so bad at speaking Italian that Will now knows more words than him, was what Nico held back. 

Being nice is so hard. 

"Ah, Italian descent?" Mr. Romano asked. 

"I was born in Venice, Italy, and then came to the States when I was seven. The trip was kinda my way of visiting home." Nico explained. Other than meeting Giovanni, the trip itself was nice. He briefly wondered if he should take Will to Italy at some point. 

Maybe when he's more fluent, as a reward. 

The wife huffed as the husband looked interested, now knowing Nico was Italian. It was weird since he was getting more attention than Will, who seemed not to mind. 

Nico's social battery dropped to zero when the couple finally left. 

"What was that about?" Nico asked as he sat next to Will. He was planning on avoiding the father for the rest of the day. 

"Homophobic and maybe racist. He wasn't happy to know that I was dating Gio, especially a blue-eyed, blonde white guy. He's nice to your face, but I caught them speaking Italian behind my back. I didn't know a word back then, but Gio yelled at them. It was one of the few reasons why I stayed for so long. I was young and stupid. He had a wavering eye, always close to cheating, but I felt special when he didn't allow anyone to talk badly about me." Will explained. 

It was weird, but also fascinating to hear about Giovanni when he was younger and how close he and Will were. It wasn't healthy, but it made it easier for Nico to understand why Will was still so attached to Gio and why Gio wanted to keep Will so badly. 

Their relationship might've started innocently, and maybe there was love, but their relationship went south pretty fast. Will was inexperienced in the relationship field, while Giovanni was controlling and dominating enough to make Will believe anything. 

Giovanni never tried that with Nico. 

He actually followed Nico's pace when it came to their relationship. 

Gio listened and realized quickly that Nico wasn't a pushover. They went on a few dates, and Nico knew he was a charmer, which was cute at the time. When it came to sex, Giovanni did try to rush it, which was horrifying to realize that was what he did with Will, but Nico made him patient and distracted him with more foreplay until he was ready. 

The sex was great. 

But as of right now, while the cheating was horrible, it made him want to puke to know that even though Giovanni knew how to properly prep, he still chose to abuse Will. 

"Are you okay?" Will asked, watching Nico cover his mouth. He really did look close to puking. 

"Why are we here again?" Nico asked as everyone began to sit down. Will shrugged. 

"Closure? I just felt like I needed to be here. I... I needed to see Giovanni get put away. Maybe it would help with the nightmares." Will suggested. Nico held his hand. Nico would sometimes wake up to Will either tossing and turning or crying in his sleep. He never complained about it since Will would just let him sleep in until he was fully rested. Not to mention, Will went through something traumatic. 

While Nico could relate to a certain degree since he was a big pain in the ass to Percy, and his sister's death was a sensitive subject to him, nothing happened to him physically. He was abandoned and felt like the world was against him, and sure, he felt betrayed by Percy while dealing with new feelings, but... 

He would go through that again rather than what Will went through. 

Will would kill him for comparing trauma, but it was true. He wasn't invalidating his trauma, but it helped him be more understanding of what Will was going through. So he's been getting broken sleep. 

No big deal. 

But apparently, Will figured not sleeping was his answer to not disturbing Nico's sleep, but it only caused him to worry now that he doesn't wake up to Will in his bed in the mornings. 

"Alright," Nico said, giving Will's hand a reassuring squeeze. Who knows, maybe it would work. Everyone quieted down when the funeral service started. Nico mostly focused on Will, sometimes played with Will's fingers to know how Will was feeling in the moment. 

So far, everything was going well. 

They listened to the officiant, listened to scripture, and Will whispered a time he went to church as a child until he was old enough to make his own choices. Then, Nico spent ten minutes daydreaming of how Will looked as a kid, which made him too happy. After scripture, Nico listened to a few of Giovanni's relatives give eulogies. A cousin talked about the mischief they would get into. An Uncle who reminisced when Gio helped fix up a car with him. Gio's mother went off about how Gio was a good child and how independent he was. 

Then the surprising part was when the officiant called Will up to give a eulogy. 

Obviously, this wasn't part of the plan. 

Nico was about to dismiss it for Will, since it was obvious he was being set up, but Will got up and made his way forward. There was nothing nice for Will to say, nor did Nico know what Will was going to say, so he grabbed his phone, just in case he did need to call Apollo. 

Will was limping to the podium that was next to the casket. He wasn't supposed to be on his foot so much since Will worsened it so much when he was trying to survive, and painkiller can only do so much. 

Even standing was bad. 

Will got to the mic, but didn't seem so please to be up there, but still plastered a smile on his face. "I didn't know I was going to get called up," Will began, looking towards Giovanni's parents. 

Maybe being shitty is inherited in that family. 

"Giovanni was... He was... He loved me to the very end. We had broken up the month prior to his death due to difficulties, but he always had me on his mind. He did his very best to get back with me, and sometimes, I wished we did because it would've prevented his death. I feel horrible that he is dead, I really do. I wished things were different, but it's too late. I don't know what was told to the family, but if you all expected me to tell you all that he was the best boyfriend I ever had, it won't happened. He was my first for a lot of things, the good and the bad, and I won't be able to forget it. He will always be special to me, but only in that way. Nothing more, nothing less." Will towards the casket, still feeling heartache, but also relived. "I love you, Giovanni. May your soul rest in peace." 

May your soul burn in hell, Nico thought. 

Nico stood up. He wasn't going to let Will get scrutinized by Giovanni's family, who didn't know the full truth. Will left the podium, feeling okay for the moment. He said everything respectfully without painting Gio as the bad guy. He nodded goodbye to Giovanni's parents, who didn't look happy with him. 

He never did mesh well with Gio's family. 

He took Nico's hand, who was looking peaceful on the outside. Nico took him outside, and they were half-way to Apollo's car until Nico made an announcement that he left his phone. He did a show of checking his pockets, since it wasn't on him. He told Will to go to the car and he was going to get his phone. 

Will wasn't fooled, but didn't care. 

Nico walked back into the church when the funeral service was concluded, family members getting up and gossiping before they had to go to the committal service. Nico ignored most of them since he really was trying to get his phone, but after he got it, he stopped when he heard someone saying that Will didn't love Giovanni. 

It shouldn't have bothered him, but it did. Will gave his all to the point his was slightly handicapped, and they were saying Will didn't love him. "Will almost gave his life for him and you think that because he couldn't lie to y'all faces and say he was a good man, that he was a bad boyfriend. You wanna know why he's in that casket? It's because he was a slimy ass man who didn't deserve the oxygen he was breathing. He could've been alive if he wasn't a wimp and pulled the-" 

"This is exactly why I asked Annabeth to come and not you." Apollo said as he covered Nico's mouth. "Please ignore him, he's been drinking and he's not a good drinker." Apollo lied. Nico grumbled and felt his phone vibrate. While Apollo was providing the appropriate distraction by talking to a few fans (and Gio's parents being in awe that Apollo showed up), Nico checked his phone. 

Sun Angel: I knew you were going to explode. 
I was just wondering when.🤣 Nice excuse, tho. 😉

Nico smiled behind Apollo's hand as he got dragged out of the church. 

"All you had to do was sit still and look pretty. Not piss off everybody in a church." Apollo told him, but Nico didn't care. As soon as he got in the car, he kissed Will silly. He enjoyed the sound of Will giggling was perfect as Will tried and failed to push Nico away. Apollo rolled his eyes as he got in the front seat, but didn't say a word. 

It was rare to see Will smile and laugh, so he was happy to deal with Will being loved on by his current boyfriend. 

He'll enjoy this for however long Will's smile lasts. 

Chapter Text

The funeral didn't help. 

Will woke up gasping for air, feeling like he was being choked. This nightmare wasn't a repeated nightmare of Giovanni hurting him and trapping him underground. This nightmare made him feel like he should've died as well. Giovanni didn't beat him, but berated him for going to his funeral, for being around his family, and having the audacity to speak about him. 

He called Will sorry, reminded him of all the good things he has done and was pissed that Will couldn't even say that. Then to bring Nico in as well, to kiss him around his family, warranted his family to call him any type of names. But that wasn't the worst part. 

He agreed that Will moved too fast, accused him of not loving him, saying that he wished him to be dead. Will argued that he did give Gio a way out, but Gio refused to listen. "If you love me, like you said, why aren't you with me? I couldn't live without you, but you seem to be doing just fine. Do you think that's fair?" Gio had him trapped between the wall and his body, his hand snaking up to Will's neck. 

Will tried to say that Gio had hurt him and that he didn't want to die. He apologized, but insisted that he did love him, but Gio was the one who cheated. "I chose you, I love you, what more do you want?" Will shook his head, pleading and apologizing, but Gio didn't care. His hand had tightened around Will's neck while looking lovingly into his eyes. 

"Doing this for me proves that you love me. Join me, then we can be together." 

Will really thought he died when he woke up to a dark room, but since this wasn't his first nightmare, Will had learned to cover his mouth to prevent waking Nico. He felt guilty that Nico could hardly sleep, which he needed since his classes were going to start soon. 

He took a few moments to calm down by grounding himself. 

He felt the sheets below damp due to the sweat, but it still told him that he was in bed, not against the wall. He could taste something metallic, which meant he probably bit his cheek or tongue in his sleep, but the pain meant he was alive. He could hear white noise playing softly on a speaker, which helped sometimes when Will woke up in a panic. He could smell his own stench of sweat coating his skin as he took shaky breaths. 

He could see Giovanni lying next to him, disappointed. 

The scream Will let out might've woken the neighbors. 

Will fell out of the bed and backed up until he hit a small corner, hitting his drawer, and knocking down a lamp and knick-knacks. Nico, Apollo, and Hermes burst into Will's room, all of them holding various objects. Nico was holding an empty wine bottle, Apollo was holding a corkscrew, and Hermes was holding a glass bowl. 

The scene might've been funny if Will hadn't been panicking. 

Apollo turned on the lights, only to find Will on the floor. He winced once he realized Will was using his broken ankle and damaged hand to move away. "What's wrong? What happened?" Hermes asked, putting down the bowl. He didn't see anyone or anything that was out of the norm. 

"He was in bed! Why weren't you here?" Will asked. Nico put down the bottle and walked towards Will to hoping to get him out of the corner. 

"You went to bed early, remember? You wanted to see if going to bed with the sun still up might help in some way. It's only ten." Nico told him softly. He had been watching a movie while sipping leftover wine when Will screamed. He almost thought Will going to bed when the sun was setting was working until now. 

Will even felt sleepy, which was a small step forward. 

The scream was a giant step back. 

Nico still showed Will that no one was in the bed before taking Will's hand and moving him to sit on the bed. Apollo left to get a med kit to check Will over. Will had never reacted like that before. He had never tried to run, much less scream. Will cried and apologized, remembering that he told Nico that he would be fine since it was daytime. He did fall asleep easily, at least.  

"You have nothing to say sorry about. It was scary, but I promise that he is not here." Nico told him before kissing his head. Nico always gave him kisses, but Will figured it was because they couldn't do much of anything else. They hadn't even dated that long and he was already being a pain in the ass. 

Will was waiting for Nico to break up with him, and he wouldn't blame him one bit. 

This was not what Nico signed up to be with. 

Will pushed Nico away gently, not wanting to be mean. He tried to smile, but it was hard to do. He felt like he had to pull himself together or else Nico would leave him. 

I chose you, I love you, what more do you want?

Will wasn't sure anymore. 

"I'll go back to sleep. I'm sorry for screaming. Go back downstairs and enjoy yourself." Will insisted. Nico wasn't fooled as he watched Will try to act normal. He reached out to grab Will's shaky hand, which felt cold and clammy. 

"I was about to go to bed, anyway. Let me just clean up, okay? Wait for me." Nico said. The weak smile fell off Will's face. Disappointed, Will nodded. Nico kissed his hand, then left the bedroom with Apollo and Hermes, closing the door behind him. 

"Will can't leave here anymore. This place is way too big, and Will doesn't feel safe here. Not to mention his ex had lived here with him, broke in after he was kicked out, and invaded his space. We gave him a month, and he isn't going to get any better." Nico quietly argued. 

They weren't expecting Will to recover within a month, but to see if Will would show any positive progress. Whether it was eating more, sleeping more, or simply expressing his feelings more. Apollo, just testing, wanted to see if Will would be okay to live in his home again after everything that had happened. At first, Will was happy to be home from the hospital, but then the nightmares started, along with Will wanting to stay in his room more. He eventually left his room, but he became jumpy with every knock or creak, insisting his ex was alive. 

It has gone on long enough. 

Apollo sighed. He agreed, but really wanted Will to reclaim his home. 

But he wasn't going to ignore his son getting stressed out. He meant it when he said he was staying for a year. He wanted to be aware. After all this time, thinking Will was doing great as he went to school, not once hearing any complaints, only to realize that Will was in an abusive relationship. 

Hell, he only found out when he first met Nico. Apollo thought Nico was crazy getting a knife to scare off whoever Will was talking to, which turned out to be Giovanni, only to be shocked that Gio had a gun. 

What was he going to do if Nico wasn't there? 

If Will was home alone? 

He wanted to be there for Will, so if being here was making things worse, he'll sell the place. 

"Alright, we'll start looking for another house for Will to move into-"

"I was thinking apartments. With his injuries, he wouldn't be able to handle the maintenance, and he needs to focus on getting better. At least he would have a lesser load on his shoulders." Nico suggested. 

Apollo wanted to point out that Will hired whomever to get things done. Cleaners, lawn care crew, but Apollo remembered when he went shopping with Will when they were at the beach. 

Will wasn't a big spender. 

He hardly spent his allowance that Apollo gave when Will started school. 

It was probably best not to add Will's stress about hiring labor. 

"Fine. I'll leave that to you, but Hermes has to approve it!" Hermes raised an eyebrow, but didn't say a word. He knew Apollo felt like he was losing control of this situation. Apollo never played the role of father before, and most likely didn't like that Nico knew what Will needed within a short time he had been with Will. 

Nico wasn't trying to challenge Apollo, but his sun baby wasn't used to being ordered around and being told no so many times. 

"That's fine," Nico agreed, looking at Hermes for any arguments. Nico held a level of maturity that Hermes could appreciate, but it felt like it was a ticking time bomb whenever the topic of Will came up. 

If Gio was a raging storm, Nico was an unsuspecting earthquake. 

He could see why Apollo feels threatened. 

Nico wasn't too different from Gio; he was just calm and more calculated about it. 

And knowing that he killed Gio without any signs of guilt wasn't helping. 

Nico, since Hermes had nothing to say, told them to have a good night before heading inside his bedroom. Will was lying down, but awake, waiting as Nico asked. 

Nico changed into his night clothes (his skull pjs because Apollo refused to give the dolphin pjs back), then climbed into bed after turning off the lights. Will instantly moved to cuddle against his chest, feeling Nico's arms holding him. It felt nice to be held. He felt warmer when Nico pulled the blanket up further, their legs tangling, and hearing Nico's soft breaths. 

He felt sleepy, but didn't want to fall asleep. 

"Sleep, Will, I'll be here when you wake up," Nico told him, before yawning. Will yawn after him, then playfully hit Nico, who chuckled. Yawns are contagious. Not wanting to disappoint, Will closed his eyes and quietly enjoyed Nico's fingers playing with his hair, letting sleep take over. 

This time, Will mostly tossed and turned with slight mumbling, but didn't wake up screaming. He woke up with a headache, but quietly, as he realized Nico was still in bed. He looked up, noting Nico was up, but was looking at his phone, focused so intensely. Will turned around in Nico's hold to look, Nico adjusting to typing with one hand while the other lay on Will's side. 

Nico was looking at apartments. Will was too scared to ask if Nico was planning on moving out. Did the scream last night push Nico over the edge? 

"Are you... Do you not want to be here anymore?" Will asked, afraid of the answer. Nico had every right to leave. 

"We're moving out. I spoke with Apollo, and I don't think you being here is good for you. You can start fresh and not have any reminders of your ex." Nico announced. 

Will noticed Nico was trying to avoid saying Gio's name, as if that would help. Will laid on his back, Nico releasing his phone to focus on a very hot Will Solace. He wanted to climb on top and touch him, but settled on just moving his hand to play with Will's chest. 

"You know, he's your ex, too," Will reminded. Nico rolled his eyes. 

"Let's be realistic, he was more of my fuck buddy than boyfriend. You're ten times a better boyfriend than he was in the past three years of dating." Nico said, being truthful. He still found Will beautiful as the day they first met, just more depressed, which was valid considering everything he had been through. He never wished to be away from Will, never thought to break up due to Will's trauma. 

He could only imagine what Will went through despite being told the whole story. The experience sounded horrible, but surely it was much worse in person. 

"Even now, with all the nightmares and..." Will asked, scared to finish his question. Nico smiled and leaned down to kiss Will, their lips moving slowly against each other as Nico took his breath away. He wanted Will to know that he was in it for the long run. He plans on staying by Will's side until the day they have to break up, which would never come. It would take a long time for Will to heal, especially with his hand that was a painful reminder, but no matter what, even on Will's worst day, he'll be there. 

He didn't know how else to show this. 

Will was doing a great job not asking for a break-up for Nico's sake, because he was going to decline it until Will got it through his thick skull that he wasn't leaving. Nico broke the kiss suddenly. 

He almost sounded exactly like Giovanni, who didn't want to leave either. 

Not noticing Nico's distress, Will chuckled. "Maybe you do love me if you're willing to kiss me with morning breath," Will said. Not wanting to ruin Will's mood, Nico smiled and gave him one more kiss before getting up. Will followed suit, both of them getting ready for the day. 

Nico focused on finding reasons why he wasn't like Giovanni. Turns out, his final words did get to Nico. He was trying his best not to become the same toxic mess Will's left behind. It was a rude awakening when Piper pointed out that he was slowly making Will dependent on him. 

That he was making Will feel helpless. 

And Will proved he definitely wasn't when he had to fight off Gio until Nico got there. He changed so he could just watch over him instead of fighting every battle, but this was different. 

Will needed him.

So yeah, he wasn't going to listen if Will asked for a break. 

He most likely wouldn't mean it if he did. 

"Are you okay, Nico?" Will asked as he put on a clean shirt carefully. Nico walked over to help, needing to do something despite not being fully dressed himself. 

"Yeah. I was just thinking to myself about what I wanted to do today." Nico excused. Will didn't push since Nico looked pretty angry while deep in thought. 

He didn't want to piss Nico off, even though he knew Nico wasn't going to hit him even if Nico did get mad. 

He wasn't mentally prepared for that yet. 

Will dropped it and allowed Nico to dress him, since it kept Nico at ease. After both of them were dressed, Nico helped him down the stairs, where Apollo was fixing breakfast. 

"Morning, Will. You have therapy today." Apollo announced. 

"I thought that was next week," Nico said. 

"I pushed it up." Apollo looked at Nico, wondering if Nico was going to argue about this. Nico nodded and stayed quiet. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Apollo without coffee. Will wondered when Apollo and Nico got so tense around each other, but also wasn't mentally ready to handle that as well. 

Hermes, who was watching everything from afar, knew there was a problem brewing, but stayed quiet... For now. 

Apollo had voiced his concerns that Nico was latching onto Will, which would make Will do so in return, removing any type of independence from each other. He was worried that Will was going to have separation anxiety if Nico leaves his vicinity, and that Nico would become more aggressive if Will was out of his sight. 

Hermes could see it, but didn't like that Apollo was playing with fire when it came to Nico. It felt like he was putting himself in a dangerous position. The only reason they were respected was that Apollo was Will's father, and Hermes kept out of his business. 

The living room felt tense. 

Hermes decided to make Will his breakfast plate. 

"What time is it?" Nico asked once he got his cup of coffee. 

"Doesn't matter, I'm taking him. And no, you're not going." Apollo said. Nico had to walk away before saying something he wouldn't mean. It's not like he takes Will to therapy every time. Sometimes, he tags along and waits until Will gets done to see how Will is feeling. 

He just... He had to be there just so Will knew he could go to him. That day, when he went on a college tour and couldn't answer his phone as he spoke with his advisor, was the worst day of his life. He wasn't there, and Will had to endure two hours of torture until he could get there. 

Never again. 

So he held his tongue when Apollo said he couldn't come. 

Will was just going to therapy, and the threat was gone. 

Will would be safe...

There was nothing to worry about. 

Nothing. 

Nothing at all. 

"Nico?" 

Nico looked at Will, who looked concerned, then realized he was gripping the hell out of his cup. Nico sighed and walked to sit down next to Will to feed him once Hermes put the plate down. Will had a good working hand, but opened his mouth so Nico could do what he wanted. Hermes quietly watched. 

He didn't know what to call this. 

Just the thought of Will leaving Nico's sight made Nico damn-near break down, and Will noticing Nico's unease, was making Will anxious, which was a problem. If Nico kept reacting like Will leaving him behind was dangerous, Will was going to accept that reality. 

Hermes quietly nodded to Apollo. 

They know how bad Will was doing since he was more expressive, but Nico wasn't. He would seem cool and collected when Will needed him to be, but he seemed to be neglecting his own feelings. 

Nico wasn't okay, and they were going to test out how bad it was. 

Chapter Text

Nico, to keep the peace, went to hang out with Percy and Annabeth, mostly because Jason and Piper were in California to announce their pregnancy to her father. He would get updates from Jason now and then, which was mostly because Piper's father wanted to know if Piper was in good hands and if Jason would be a present father. 

It was a valid worry, but Jason would be a great father. 

So, while Piper was dealing with a pregnancy, Jason wanted to keep the stress to a minimum for Piper. So, Nico decided to keep his distance for a moment because, well, pregnant women scare him. 

So yeah, he was Percy and Annabeth's problem for the next few months. 

"He's just in therapy, which is good for him. Actually, shouldn't you be in therapy?" Annabeth asked. Nico, who was pacing, stopped to glare at Annabeth. His father did put Nico in therapy, but anyone who knew Nico knew he wasn't the type to just open up simply because you ask. 

Actually, he felt like he was fine. 

Will was saved and alive, Gio was gone, and everything was fine. 

He just had to wait for Will to get better, and that sounded pretty easy to do. 

So, yes, he was supposed to go, but didn't see any reason why... (Liar).

"I know he is in therapy, and I'm happy for him, but I just want to be there in case he is feeling upset. He's going to be recalling everything he has been through." Nico argued. 

"And it will be good for him to dissect those feelings and understand the situation without panicking and fearing for his life. Can't coddle him forever, just like he has to face his nightmares." Annabeth retorted while looking at the work she brought home. Sadly, Percy was at work, so he was kinda stuck with her. 

She was a helpful voice of reason that Nico didn't want to hear at the moment. 

"So I shouldn't support him?" Nico asked, crossing his arms, feeling defensive. 

"I said coddle, not support. You are coddling him, not supporting him, and I'm only going off what you have been telling me. If you're fighting with Apollo, I'm on Apollo's side if he is trying to separate you from him." Annabeth corrected. 

And that's why Nico rarely goes to her for advice, even if she is being truthful. 

"I'm going home," Nico announced angrily. Annabeth sighed. 

"Nico, wait," Annabeth said, finally looking at Nico. She wasn't going to dismissed the shit Will went through. Even now, she couldn't forget the sight of Will in the hospital and the little bit Nico had shared with her. Nico was trying to help, just... he was going about it wrong, and he clearly wasn't listening to Apollo. 

Apollo hadn't been there for Will until recently, so yeah, it makes sense that Nico held little respect for Apollo, only because Apollo once was a doctor. It was up to her to help Nico see a bit clearly what he was doing. 

"I'm not saying you are bad for Will, but I want you to know what you are doing. If Will comes back sad, just pat him on the back and tell him he did a good job. That you are proud he left without you. But if he comes back frightened because you weren't there with him, because he left without you, know that you are making him feel unsafe and dependent on you. He shouldn't be having a meltdown when he is with his father or his friends. Like you said, the threat is gone, and he's not alone. Don't make him afraid to live his life." Annabeth said softly. 

Nico simply nodded and left. He couldn't see how he was making Will dependent on him. He was there for him as a good boyfriend should be. He was making sure Will was okay. How in the hell was he making Will afraid to live his life? How was he making Will afraid of being left alone with his father? 

Nico got on his bike and drove off. 

It has been an hour since Will left. He should be back home soon. 

*********

Will, after therapy, thought he was going back home, but instead, Apollo drove him to an ice cream parlor to have a father-son moment. 

He wanted to go home. 

"I heard you did really good in there. I'm proud of you, you know. And if you need someone to talk to, you can always come to me as well, okay?" Apollo said, placing a hot fudge sundae in front of Will. Will only stared at it, not feeling hungry or interested. 

He wanted to go home. 

He looked around, but kept his head low, seeing people walking, talking, and enjoying their frozen dessert happily. For some reason, he felt like he was in danger. He didn't talk much in therapy, only about what had been going on at home. Will mentioned going to the funeral and that he may be moving, which was Nico's idea. 

He spoke a lot about Nico. 

When he was asked what he liked to do outside of Nico, Will couldn't answer. So long as he was in the house, he felt fine. His therapist pushed to get Will to understand why, but Will refused to answer. So, his therapist gave Will homework; just two tasks: Go hang out with a friend for at least an hour, and do something he likes for an hour. 

Nico can not be included in those tasks. 

It was to help Will learn that it was okay to be independent and learn how to be himself again. That his trauma shouldn't control him and dismiss who he was. When Will asked why Nico couldn't be involved in his task, his therapist told him that it was because Will couldn't give him an answer earlier. Will wasn't happy about that, and now Apollo, whom Will gave permission for the Therapist to speak with, now knew Will had to do those tasks. 

Will had a week. 

He wanted to go home badly. 

"Do you not like the ice cream? We can take it home, if you like." Apollo asked. Will looked at him, feeling pretty numb. 

He didn't care about the ice cream. 

"I was wondering if we could drive around town, maybe go to the park you like to run at. The sun is nice out and it'll be good to-"

"I wanna go home," Will mumbled quietly. He did his therapy, now he just wanted to go home and cuddle against Nico. It would make him feel better than whatever he was feeling. They talked lightly about Gio and his nightmares, which were enough to make Will feel uneasy. The therapist even asked how it made him feel knowing Giovanni was dead. 

Will should've answered that he was relieved, but he couldn't answer at all. 

He refused to answer. 

Just like when Nico left to do whatever he did in the basement of that house, he couldn't feel a thing. He had only stared at the fire, in pain, until Nico came back. He wanted to feel something then, but... he didn't know how. 

If that made sense. 

He should feel happy...

"You know, it's okay to cry, Will. I know he was horrible to you, but I know you did love-" 

"Shut up," Will said a bit louder. He refused to acknowledge what Apollo was saying. It wasn't true. Sure, he said it when he was giving the eulogy, but mostly to piss off his parents. 

It held no truth.

"Will, I just want to talk-"

"I Wanna Go Home!" Will shouted. He didn't want to talk about his feelings, about Gio, about anything. He wanted to go home, to where Nico was waiting for him with open arms and safety. 

He didn't want any fucking ice cream. 

Will ignored the looks he was getting from the people around him and only focused on Apollo's disappointed look. 

"Nico can't save you from everything," Apollo said quietly. 

"Fuck you." Will got up and left, and Apollo followed because he knew if he didn't, Will would probably call Nico to get him, and he did not want to cause a scene in public. Apollo followed Will to the car, and then they rode in silence back home. Apollo wanted to say more, but didn't think it was a good idea to talk while Will was trapped in a moving car. 

It would be a dick move and didn't want Will to feel like a hostage in the car with no choice. It took a while just for Will to be okay in a car. Roadtrips were definitely off the table for now. 

But Apollo decided to take the long way home. 

Will noticed, but stayed quiet until an overwhelming fear took hold of him. He had no reason to fear his father, and he knew they were going home, but it didn't stop the tears from coming. He cried, saying he wanted Nico, that he wanted to go home. In his mind, Nico meant safety, and being away from Nico for so long meant he wasn't safe. With Will reacting that badly just from a drive, Apollo hurried home. 

Nico was waiting angrily on the front lawn. 

Will didn't let Apollo park fully before racing (as he could with a hurt foot) out of the car to hug Nico, bawling. Nico acted like Will was harmed or something, looking over Will before glaring at Apollo. He had had enough of this. Nico sent Will indoors with a promise that he would be inside shortly. 

"He was only supposed to go to therapy. Where were you?" Nico asked. Apollo crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. 

"Am I not allowed to have alone time with my son? I don't have to tell you everything I do with him." Apollo argued. He gets it, Nico is protective, but he was not the bad guy, something Nico seems to think he is. 

"You made Will that upset. You clearly don't know what you are doing!" 

"I think you are forgetting something here," Apollo said, walking up to Nico. "I know I'm not the best father, hell, Will didn't like me for most of his life. I know that, but I was a doctor, which means I know what I am doing with my son, something you don't. So, stop treating me as if I am an idiot father." Apollo walked passed him, ignoring the glare on Nico's face. 

"And for the record, I took him to get ice cream, then drove back. He's crying because you weren't there. If he's reacting that badly just from this, how do you think he's going to react when you are in school while he is left alone in a new apartment? In a place he doesn't know, alone, since you don't trust me to be around him?" Apollo said, shocking Nico, that Will was crying because of that. 

Ice cream and a drive didn't sound threatening in the slightest. 

Then he remembered what Annabeth said and felt worse. 

"All you're teaching him is that he isn't safe without you." Apollo went inside, leaving Nico alone outside, leaving him to understand the mess he was making. Will cried as if Apollo had done something wrong, which made Nico react badly. 

But all Apollo did was take Will out for ice cream. 

"Fuck." 

He went about caring for Will all wrong. 

Chapter Text

Will stayed in his room, hiding under his blanket on his bed, trying his best to block out his anxiety. 

All he wanted was to go home. 

Was that too much to ask? 

He didn't ask for an ice cream or a drive around town. 

He most certainly didn't ask to talk about his feelings. 

It was all his father's fault that he was having anxiety. And when his father said Nico couldn’t save him from everything... Will hated that it was true. Will knew it was true, but so far, Nico has saved him from everything. From the day they first met, Nico helped him take off the rose-colored glasses, revealing Gio as a cheater. 

And as aggressive Gio got over time, Nico matched his energy, showed him that he didn't have to fear that man at all. Nico gave him strength. Nico showed up when he was kidnapped.

Only recently had Apollo entered his life, playing the role of a father. 

Fuck him!

Will flinched at a light knock on his door. Thinking it was his dad, Will didn't bother looking, almost shouting for him to go away, but there's only one person who would get in bed with him and cuddle him from behind. 

"Wanna talk about it?" 

Will turned around while Nico pulled him closer. 

There was a great deal of comfort in being held by him. 

"I just wanted to go home," Will mumbled, closing his eyes. Nico played with his hair, trying to choose his words carefully. 

"Was going for ice cream afterwards that bad?" Nico asked, keeping his tone light. Will pouted. 

"I didn't ask for ice cream," Will argued, suddenly not wanting to cuddle Nico anymore. Nico held on, but gave enough room for Will to look at him. 

"Would you feel the same way if I took you to get ice cream after a hard therapy session?" Will wanted to say yes, but kept his mouth shut. 

He wouldn't mind if Nico took him out. 

Instead of feeling anxious, he would have thought it was a cute date to ease his stress. 

He wouldn't have thought about going home. 

"What are you afraid of when I'm not around?" Nico asked gently, genuinely asking. It would've been different if Will had been triggered, but Apollo surely would've been careful enough not to do that. 

He watched Will shrug, not meeting his eyes. Will's eyes never light up like they used to, even the blue in his eyes seemingly dull. 

It was understandable, but also frightening. 

"You know I love you, right?" Nico waited for a quick answer, a blush, anything that showed that Will knew, but received nothing. It was strange to see no response, and it made him wonder if he hadn't been expressing his love lately. 

"Yes, I know," Will eventually said, but Nico didn't believe it. 

"Do you love me?" Nico asked. That question gave Nico a more appropriate reaction from Will, who looked at him as if he had asked a stupid question. 

"Of course I do!" Will angrily responded, once again trying to move away, but failing. It was insulting for Nico to think he didn't love him. He loved Nico far greater than he could assume. 

To him, it was a stupid question. 

"Can I kiss you?" Nico asked. Will nodded, and Nico moved to have Will lie on his back since his hand and leg were still healing. Nico didn't mind taking the reins and letting Will be a pillow princess, though he noticed Will would get frustrated faster since he couldn't do what he wanted. 

Will was rather limited. 

So their foreplay was a bit quicker than usual, and Will tried his best to make Nico do more reckless things like rushing and pushing his limits, which was similar to how Giovanni was when Nico first started sleeping with him.

But Giovanni was selfish, looking for his own satisfaction without thinking about his partner. 

Will was seeking relief from his suffering and trauma, something Nico could understand personally. 

All the same, Nico usually ignores it in favor of making sure Will was well taken care of, often giving praise for Will when he slowed down, then making him repeat that Nico did love him, wanted him, while Nico would express it through actions until Will got the message. 

Nico didn't care about Will's image, considering he was still healing. Not everything was going to be pretty as things heal, but Nico still found Will beautiful. 

He didn't care that Will couldn't do much when it came to sex or everyday tasks. He couldn't feel in his hand that was burned badly, and he had a broken ankle he could barely walk on. He didn't mind helping with tasks since it made him feel needed, and Nico treated Will like a buffet when it came to sex. 

His hands and mouth would touch and taste all that he could. Hearing Will's reactions and begging was sinful. And it wasn't like Will did nothing despite Nico's insistence; he allowed Will to do a bit like jerk him off or give a blow job, but Nico never allowed Will to push past his limits because Will wouldn't tell him if he did, hurting himself more. 

Will was his to do, and all he had to do was take it. 

He loved his body, his spirit, his personality, all the good and the bad.

He loved him

And he made sure Will knew it. 

*****************

After overdue loving, Nico and Will talked more, mostly Nico telling Will that the threat was gone and he was safe to do the things he loved before. He could go out with friends, go on a run, and be without Nico just fine. 

When Will agreed he'll do better, he opened up that Therapy was hard today. He had spoken about the funeral and Gio's family, how he felt at home since he was limited in doing anything, and the "homework" he had to do at some point, which was to hang out with a friend or do what he liked for an hour. 

When it came to his nightmares, Will didn't share much, only that he felt guilty. Nico had asked if Will regretted what happened to Gio, and Will shook his head. Nico tried to lightly push, but Will requested not to talk about it, so he let off, changing the subject to a more light-hearted topic. 

They talked about sex, and Nico was happy that Will was blushing and smiling again, saying that he did miss it and was glad Nico still wanted to touch him. It made him feel sexy, which was something he didn't feel often these days. 

So Nico decided from then on, he was gonna touch Will's butt every chance he could get, which got a laugh out of the blonde, which was music to Nico's ears. Now that they both felt better, Will said that he felt hungry and he wanted to apologize properly to his father. 

"I should apologize, too. I have been an ass to him lately." Nico voiced. It wasn't intentional, but he just hated seeing Will upset or frightened. Since that night when he thought Will died in his arms, he felt paranoid. 

Will asking him if he was dying would forever haunt him. 

"What's going on between you two?" Will asked, sitting up. Nico sat up with a sigh, now understanding what Annabeth's words meant earlier. He can't make Will afraid to live his life. 

"I was just overprotective for no reason," Nico said truthfully. 

Maybe he does need therapy. 

Will grabbed his hand and kissed it. Just for a little while, the glow in Will's eyes was there along with sadness. Sadness that both of them are suffering thanks to Gio, but loved because Nico still found him worth protecting.  

"I love you, Nico." 

"I love you, too. Go wash up and I'll make lunch for both of us, okay?" Will nodded, and they shared one more kiss before getting up. Nico threw on some clothes to lounge in before heading downstairs...

Interupting Apollo and Hermes's makeout session. 

"Damn it, Nico!"

"Five more minutes!" 

Nico rolled his eyes. "You have a bedroom," Nico reminded, heading to the kitchen. He wasn't feeling too hungry, so he decided to make himself a sandwich while looking for a meal he could give Will. 

He did have leftover pasta. 

Apollo walked into the kitchen after Nico was done making his sandwich. 

"How's Will?" Apollo asked, upset that he had to get updates from Nico. He did upset Will today, so he wouldn't be shocked if Will chose not to speak to him for the rest of the day. 

Lately, he has been more of a doctor than a father to Will. 

Not like Will honestly needed him since he was in his twenties. 

Kinda hard to father someone who was already grown. 

"He's fine. He wants to talk to you later." Nico told him. Apollo nodded and was about to walk out, but Nico sighed before telling Apollo to wait. Apologizing was harder than he thought. 

He had good intentions. 

Just went about it wrong. 

"I'm sorry for being a jerk earlier. I just... I was trying to look out for Will when I didn't need to. The truth is that I-I'm scared too. I'm nervous when he leaves, and I don't know what's going on. I don't want to be controlling," Nico looked away, guilty, "but I don't know how to protect him when he's away." 

I don't want to be another Giovanni, Nico thought. He tried his best not to look at the location app whenever he woke up or when Will wasn't nearby. Will was technically kidnapped from a hospital where he worked; his faith in anyone to keep Will safe was slim to none. 

He knows there's no threat, but he couldn't help but think he was wrong. 

Someone was going to come after Will, and Nico wasn't sure who yet. 

If someone was going to come after him. 

"Granted, I didn't know about Giovanni. I didn't know how aggressive he had become or, apparently, the things he had done that even involved me. So I can't say fully that I understand the same way you do, since you were there every step of the way. I get why you're fearful. But after I saw the damage Gio did to Will and to you, I want to protect him, too, but I also don't want him living in a state of fear." Apollo sighed as well. 

Both of them were having a tough day. 

"I, maybe, should've told you I was taking Will elsewhere since I do understand your worries, since the whole kidnapped situation. I'll communicate more instead of shutting you out. But that doesn't mean you get to go everywhere with him." Apollo admitted. Nico nodded along. 

"And I'll be more understanding and try my best to handle my anxiety whenever Will leaves. I didn't think he would about him picking up my nervousness and react badly." Nico spoke, peeling off the crust of his sandwich, just because. 

When Nico starts class, Will will need to know how to be by himself and do things alone. He didn't want Will to stay home, hidden away from society, all because he wasn't around. 

They had a lot to work on. 

Apollo thanked him before leaving, their relationship not perfect, but a step in the right direction. They both just want to protect Will, especially since Will was suffering from his own demons. 

They just have to figure out how to do that together. 

Chapter Text

Things weren't perfect, but it was getting there. 

Nico and Will, after looking online, started looking for apartments to live in. Nothing too cheap, but nothing too expensive, even though their parents told them they would help cover a couple of months since Nico would be in school and Will would still be too disabled to work. 

As nice as that was, Nico and Will wanted to find something that would fit their means so they wouldn't depend on anyone else. In the meantime, Nico learned to spend time away from Will to understand that Will wasn't in danger. 

That... was harder than expected. 

As promised, Apollo and Hermes would tell him where Will was going, and Will still had his location on, but it made Nico anxious. He was used to taking care of Will, making sure he was careful, loved; having nothing to focus on was making him panic. 

No, not being able to be in Will's presence was making him panic. 

Will even did his homework of hanging out with a friend, which was Clarisse and Silena, and came back smiling. They didn't go far. Just gone five minutes away to Starbucks, a distance Nico could cover in three minutes in an emergency. 

But there wasn't an emergency. 

There was nothing to be worried about. 

And with Will doing better (the nightmares, sleep schedule, and depressed mood were still shitty), it means Nico had to worry about his own issues, which he declares he doesn't have. 

He tried therapy, which his father insisted on, but Nico felt fine since Will was fine. So Nico tried a few hobbies, but he would find himself checking his phone for updates on Will's whereabouts. He just needed to know that Will was okay. 

That everything was okay. 

"Do you really think everything is okay?"

Nico opened his eyes to an empty, cold house, lit up by the fireplace. It was raining hard outside, too dark to see out the window, but Nico knew where he was. He was back at that damn house. He looked at the basement door, the entrance where he killed Giovanni... supposedly. 

He was sure he did.

He knew he did, and yet, next to him sat the man himself. That sharp jawline, the brown, devilish eyes that could make people swoon, that dark, wavy hair that was smooth enough to run his fingers through. Gio had natural charisma, something not even Nico could deny if he tried, but his personality was horrible. 

"Is everything okay?" Giovanni asked, giving all his attention to Nico. He wasn't being rude, but genuinely asking. Nico listened to the crackle of the fire, the same fire Will had burnt his hand in, the one Gio forced Will to keep his hand in. 

It was warm, too warm. 

"Yes," Nico finally answered. That was the correct answer, but it wasn't one that Nico agreed with. He felt uneasy, ready to snap at the smallest thing. He was supposed to be fine. 

"I am the type of guy to burn Will's world without regret, but you would burn the world for him. Do you know the difference?" Giovanni asked, the question worded differently now. Nico stayed quiet. He knew, but the differences were starting to blend. 

Was there a difference? 

"The difference is," Gio explained, "I know I am causing harm to Will. I know I trapped him, pushed those who love him away so I could have him to myself. I accept the pain he would go through, so long as he would be mine in the end. I would willingly burn his world and make him miserable as long as I was the only one he could love. I'm okay with that." 

Giovanni placed a hand under Nico's chin, making the boy look at him. 

"You, on the other hand, would burn the world for him. Everything I do, you would do as a mistake, causing unknown harm to Will. You want to keep him safe, you isolate him just like I do. You put him on a leash, allow him to do so much, but if he starts looking away, you want to yank the leash back, right? Is that any different than trapping him? All this effort to protect him." 

"I love and trust him!" Nico argued.

"Exactly! That's it! You love and trust him, but you don't love and trust the world around him. That is what makes us alike, only I'm more honest than you. I know what I'm doing! You don't!" Giovanni laughed as if it were a good joke, something Nico finally realized. 

"Shut up!" Nico barked, yanking his face away. 

"Now, now, it's okay. Everything is okay. You are correct, Will is in safe hands. The same bloodied hands as mine. I couldn't be happier!"

"Shut up!" 

"What? All because I died, you think this is over? Oh no, I'm giving you the torch! You know how it feels to take something for yourself and snuff out any competition! You killed me, remember? That comes with consequences, DI ANGELO!" 

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Nico knocked Giovanni over, getting on top to choke him. If he could kill him again, maybe these worries, his voice could stop. He'll be fine. Will would be fine. Everything will be fucking fine this time. 

If only Giovanni could stop laughing!

"We both love Will, our golden boy. But you'll suffocate him just like this. Squeeze harder, Nico! Maybe this'll work!" 

Nico wanted Giovanni to stop talking. He was wrong. Everything will work out. 

Giovanni just has to die, again. 

Nico felt satisfied to see the smile finally wiped from Gio's face, listening to him choke. Just a little more, then he'll be gone and Will will be safe. He ignored Gio panicking below him, staying strong even as Gio tried to push him away. 

"N-ni-c-co!" 

"Just leave us alone already!" 

Nico felt himself jerk over, falling to the floor, pain exploding from his side. It hurt, but he didn't want Gio getting away. He looked around, grabbed the bedside lamp, then got up, ready to swing. 

But... Nico was no longer at the house. 

He was in his bedroom, the one he and Will share. It was nighttime, but there was no rain, only the sound of crickets echoing outside. There was no fireplace, only the light of Will's bedside lamp blinking on the floor. 

Giovanni wasn't anywhere to be found. 

Instead, Will was coughing harshly, holding his neck, Apollo was checking over him, and Hermes was looking horrified with a bat, unsure if Nico was still a threat. 

"Nico-" Hermes calmly voiced out, unsure, but was cut off by Apollo's anger. 

"What the fuck were you doing? You were choking Will! You could've killed him!" he shouted, rightfully so. Nico calmly put down the lamp, guilt and fear overcoming him. Giovanni was right there! He was...

Nico was dreaming, and in his sleep, tried to kill Gio, but Will was the one next to him. 

"I'm sorry," Nico mumbled, feeling his hands shake. "I'm so sorry." 

Will was faced away, trying to catch his breath. Nico noticed Will's side of the bed was knocked over, which was probably why Apollo and Hermes came in. What would've happened if they weren't here? Would he even wake up? 

Nico was afraid of the answer. 

Numbly, Nico moved to put on his shoes, then grabbed his phone. 

"Where are you going?" Hermes asked, his tone softer. Will looked over, but Nico couldn't meet his gaze. Not now. Not when he...

"A friend's place. I'll..." Nico wasn't sure if he could come back. If he should. He was so scared to look at Will. This time, the bruises on Will's neck would be from him. He didn't want to see it. "Please take care of him," Nico hurriedly said before leaving. He grabbed his keys on the way out, unsure if anyone called after him, but he didn't look back. 

He hurriedly got on his bike without a helmet and drove off. 

He couldn't be there. He couldn't share the same space as Will, knowing he did that. He didn't want to see the fear on Will's face, the evidence of his attack, the proof that he was no different. The harsh wind against his face did nothing against Gio's laughter in his head. 

Gio was right. 

He was no better. 

Nico drove to Percy's place, the only place he could go for now. He still had the key to Percy and Annabeth's place; both of them were used to Nico popping up. They would only ask him to leave signs that he was there. So Nico parked his bike where they could see out of their window. He placed his shoes by the door, his keys on the coffee table. 

He made his way upstairs, quietly making his way towards his room, but stopped. He didn't want to be alone. Not now, not where Giovanni could taunt him again. He stopped in front of Percy and Annabeth's bedroom and knocked softly, announcing it was him.

He hadn't done this in years. 

He knocked once more before opening the door. Percy sat up tiredly at the sound of his door creaking, watching Nico quietly ask if he could join. Percy waved him over, moving closer to Annabeth, who grumbled. Nico closed the door, then got on Percy's other side, holding him from behind. 

He just wanted to be okay. 

Everything was supposed to be okay, but despite Gio's death, he was still here, in his head. Warning him, taunting him, and Nico was afraid of becoming him. He didn't mean to hurt Will. He didn't know. Nico had planned on killing Gio, but if he hadn't been stopped, Will would've...

Will...

He would've killed Will. 

Nico cracked. He sobbed against Percy, holding him for comfort, for safety. He apologized for being loud and rude. He apologized for being mean and violent. He apologized for ruining lives. Percy turned over and held him, letting him cry as much as he liked. Nico could feel Annabeth rubbing his arm, giving quiet words Nico couldn't hear. 

It didn't matter anyway. 

Because things weren't okay. 

Chapter Text

Nico stayed with Percy and Annabeth for a week with no word from Will. 

Well, Nico's phone was dead, so honestly, he might've received messages from Will, but he was afraid of turning his phone on. So he was lying next to his dead phone, thinking Will didn't want him anymore, but was too scared to verify that.

Percy and Annabeth had left for work a couple of hours ago, promising to talk to him once they got home. He really was their problem child. They, at least, let Nico sulk and cry, giving him space and letting him sleep in their bed since Nico was having nightmares almost nightly. 

The topic of therapy resurfaced, but Nico wasn't sure how to feel about it. One, he didn't know what to say. He wasn't the type to open up with total strangers, even if they were getting paid to listen. Two, he was pretty sure not everyone has a slightly legit family that does dirty work like in mafia movies. 

Not to mention the things he has done, but that wasn't bothering him anyway. 

It was just Giovanni's death that bothered him. 

If given the choice again, he wouldn't hesitate to kill the fucker again. That was well deserved. It was Giovanni's words that stuck with him. How similar they were. Only, Nico wasn't aggressive towards Will. 

Hopefully not toxic. 

Possessive, sure. 

Over-protective, yeah. 

Nico buried himself under his blanket. 

They were on different sides of the same coin. 

"You love and trust him, but you don't love and trust the world around him. That is what makes us alike!" 

Giovanni loved and trusted (maybe) Will, but did all he could to keep Will close. 

Nico loves and trusts Will, but wants to keep others away. 

Anyone who could cause harm to Will, Nico wanted to snuff it out. Like the time they were at the beach, seeing Will get made fun of because he wanted advice on stuffed animals, Nico nearly took the man's ear off. 

Then, the recent event of just seeing Will cry made him snap at Apollo without knowing the reason first. Being away from him was a threat and torment to him. Nico knew that feeling was from traveling in the rain for nearly two hours on his bike to get to Will, who was beaten, bruised, and nearly dead by the time he got there. 

Actually, he would've died if Nico hadn't arrived, since Giovanni was trying to strangle Will when he pulled up. Will would've died if he hadn't sent his location to his father before arriving. 

He would've died if Nico had stayed longer with his college advisor or if he hadn't stopped at the hospital to pick Will up, if the receptionist had forgotten about the secret "love note" Will left to notify Nico in the first place. 

That's why he was so insistent on staying with Will. 

No one else would protect him just the same as Nico would. 

What if it happens again?

There's no reason this would happen again. Giovanni is dead. 

Nico sighed. He was starting to feel slightly crazy. These thoughts keep coming back to the same conclusion. Gio is dead, so why is he spiralling? 

He wasn't Giovanni, wasn't becoming him either!

Are you sure?

"Fuck!" Nico shouted, throwing the blanket off of him. He looked at the corner of his room where Giovanni stood, smirking at him. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?" 

"You tell me, Di Angelo, you're the one who killed me." 

Nico kinda wanted to kill him again. He was about to voice it if it weren't for Will appearing in his bedroom doorway. He wasn't sure if Will was real or a figment of his imagination, but the sight of him still made his heart race. 

With happiness or panic, Nico didn't know, but it was racing with something. 

"Nico?" 

Will sounded real, but so did Giovanni, who was definitely dead.

Well, he was gone now, thankfully.  

"Nico, are you okay?" 

Sweet like honey to Nico's ears. Will was a wonderful sight after a week of not seeing him. At least he looked okay. He was still wearing the medical boot and one glove to hide his hand, but his curls were growing out, some peeking from beneath his beanie. 

Will was so cute. 

"Can you hear me? I'm real." 

Nico blinked, waiting for Will to disappear, but he was still there, looking very worried. Nico looked around, then back at Will. He was still in Percy's house, and the couple shouldn't be home yet...

"How did you get in?" Nico asked. Will looked away, embarrassed, before meeting Nico's gaze. 

"I kinda broke in. You know my friends... they aren't exactly upstanding citizens, y'know." Will explained. All of that was believable, other than the thought of Will breaking in. 

Nico felt pretty happy that he learned something new about Will. 

Will was still standing in the doorway. 

"Are you okay?" Will repeated. "I got worried when I couldn't contact you. I feared the worst." 

Nico looked at his phone, still feeling a bit dazed and delirious about Will standing in front of him. This still could be part of his imagination. 

"Oh, um... It's dead." Nico stated. He was still afraid to charge it and turn it on. 

"Are you gonna charge it?" 

Nico shook his head. 

"Okay... Can I come closer?" 

"You can do what you want," Nico said before looking back at the blonde. "Unless you're afraid of me." 

"I'm more worried than afraid." Will approached the bed, then lightly sat down next to Nico, giving ample space. Nico could almost feel the heat coming from him. Will might actually be real. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Will offered. 

"Where do I start?" Nico asked. 

"Wherever you like. The beginning, middle, end... it doesn't matter to me." 

Nico looked back at the corner where Giovanni was standing, now an empty space in front of his closet. He was going to sound insane, but Will deserved an explanation. 

"I still see Giovanni, sometimes. I'm not guilty, and he only appears to taunt me." Nico said carefully, refusing to look at Will. He looked at his hands instead. "He tells me that I'm going to do the same thing to you. That I'll hurt you. That he and I aren't so different. And it's true. He hurts you to keep you close; I hurt others to keep them away. What if I do something wrong that you won't forgive me for?" 

They both stayed silent for a while, Nico waiting for Will to agree and leave him. Will now knows he is equally insane. 

"You two are very different from each other. It's very insulting to think he could ever be close to the man you are." Will said sternly. It made Nico look up at him, shocked that Will looked angry at the thought that Giovanni was like Nico. "First of all, the fact that you are worried about hurting the ones I love makes you ten times better than him. He wouldn't hesitate to lay a hand on my family." 

Will offered his hand, which Nico carefully took. It was warm. 

Will was real. 

"And you are very self-aware, Nico. You know right from wrong, you let me hang out with friends, you know when to accept being wrong, and for fuck's sake, you do genuinely apologize. I bet that ass didn't, not once, apologize for the things he did to me!" 

Nico did not move to confirm that suspicion, but Will probably knew the answer anyway. 

"He was a manipulative, possessive jerk, Nico. You are a careful, considerate, and protective person, and I love having you as my boyfriend. I promise you that anything that had happened between us, I chose that as well."  Will kissed his cheek as Nico squeezed his hand. 

"Every kiss, touch, I-love-yous, and even that night Giovanni passed, because I know for a fact that if I told you not to, you wouldn't have." 

Well, Will might be wrong about that last part. If Giovanni was running his mouth, Nico would've "accidentally" killed him. Will let out a small laugh. 

"Okay, maybe not." Nico's lips quirked up at the sound of Will's laugh and loving eyes. "Either way, I know what you're going through isn't a one-and-done situation, but know that you're nothing like him. Far from it. I love you, and I want to be with you." 

"Even after what I've done?" Nico asked. Will nodded, then pressed a sweet kiss to Nico's lips. 

Oh, he was still in love with this man. 

"Let's get through this together, okay?" Will whispered, words only meant for Nico. Nico nodded, finally thinking maybe he should try again with therapy. If it'll help them, then he'll really give it a try.

"Okay." 

It was far from over, but as Nico pulled Will to lie down with him, to finally hold him, smell him, feel him, Nico knew this was a step in the right direction towards a life of loving Will correctly.