RRverse Summer Bang

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[rrversesummerbang]

deadline change announcement

hello everyone! i have been unexpectedly busy recently and have unfortunately fallen behind on event planning. due to this, this event’s gift giving day will be JANUARY 7TH instead of the originally planned december 30th.

i will be sending out giftees + making the ao3 collection in the week leading up to jan 7. my apologies for underestimating my busyness, and i look forward to seeing everyone’s gifts!!

TLDR: gift giving day is now JANUARY 7TH instead of december 30th

(original timeline for reference)

[sunflowersandscreams]

and now I have to act like I can't read your mind

written for @rrversesummerbang gift exchange

happy gift exchange @dreamyzworldlove !! this was so fun!! xoxo

Summary: Lou took a deep breath. “You can read each other’s minds now. Surprise!” Nico had never seen jazz hands look so guilty and repenting. Will looked over at Nico, who slowly met his eyes. Shit. Cool, we can think in unison, Will thought, and Nico turned back to Lou with a suppressed smile. “Explain. More.”

read on ao3

[dreamyzworldlove]

@rrversesummerbang

my secret Santa gift for @lordstormageddidnt !!

Alfies prompt was anything solangelo with a preference for superheroes and fairy tales!

Sorry alfie I bent the prompt a little.

But u know the interpretation of Icarus and the sun as a love story? yeah.

I hope you enjoy alfie!

———————————

If you like my art please reblog <3

Alt version under the cut

[thelordofshrimp]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

my fic for @thebhorror for the @rrversesummerbang secret santa gift exchange! happy new year! enjoy the silliness

Austin glared at his sister. “Will can’t lie, genius. He says that since he became head counselor, any shower that lasts more than three minutes gets interrupted by someone needing his help.” “That’s… crazy.” Nico considered the number of showers he’d taken even in his short time at camp and imagined if even half of them had been interrupted. “It is,” Jerry agreed. “Not like there’s much we can do about it, though.” “You can always do something about it.” Nico sat up. “There has to be something.” “Not unless you can somehow keep the whole camp safe at once.”

Read on Ao3

[drewtanakagf]

HOLE THEORY (part 1/2)

☆ @rrversesummerbang gift exchange fic for @buoyantsaturn

It’s summer in some metropolis and Mythomaniac is looking for a guitarist.

Teen & Up Audiences, Band AU. Words: 4,281

Excerpt Under Read More!

“We need a guitarist,” Nico says from where he is on the worn couch. He pushes back his hair pulling the top part into a tiny ponytail. The couch used to be bright red, once. Will’s next to him, focused on his medical textbook. Hazel and Frank are also over for what should be a chill afternoon. 

“Lots of people are staying around campus,” Hazel replies. “It shouldn’t be too hard to find someone who wants to play.”

Will’s garage door is rolled up all the way, exposing the four to the street. He lives with his mother on the outskirts of the city; not quite the suburbs but quiet enough to think so. It’s still loud, with the houses so squished together; conversations from two doors down waft through the air, crystal clear. Someone plays an aria at the highest volume, competing with the brass of the merengue floating down the street. People walk up and down the cracked pavement of the road and sidewalks; hanging out at house gates, leaning into open car windows as the day begins to wind down. Summer has begun to settle in, the heat batted away by frequent cooling breezes of spring. The trees are strong and green, the flowers and houseplants re-appearing on porches painting the world alive with color. 

The driveway leading up to the garage itself is short, but private enough for pedestrians to not see inside with a single wayward glance. The garage itself is dark, lights either turned off or permanently out of commission.

Hazel’s laying belly-down on the smooth concrete, humming along to the merengue and doodling on paper with a black chisel marker. Frank sits on the icebox by the door leading to the kitchen, feet swinging a few feet off the concrete, bobbing his head along to the music bleeding from his Walkman’s headphones. He’s holding a bag of ice over his wrist, brace lying next to him. Wires are strewn across the floor, leading to amps and pedal boards. A drum set takes up most of the space, the kickdrum’s face clear. Nico’s bass is at home in its case, though one of the two stands are available, the other one taken up by Hazel’s electric guitar.

“She’s right,” Will adds from his place on the ratty fabric couch, closing the textbook. Nico takes the opportunity to rest his head on Will’s lap, looking up only to see Will’s chin and the scrub of stubble left after he shaved this morning. “Austin definitely knows someone in the music program looking for some summer practice.”

“I do too,” Hazel says, capping the marker in her hand. “But we can always post these around for more reach.” She pushes herself up, brushing off the dirt on her plain purple t-shirt and worn, ripped jeans. She taps Frank on the thigh twice, gently. 

He takes off his headphones, resting them against the back of his neck where his hair curls. “Are we leaving?”

“Yeah,” She holds up the paper in her hand. “Gotta get these printed.”

Frank nods, placing down the bag of ice and putting his brace back on before stepping off his temporary seat. He dwarfs Hazel, the younger girl taking the bag from him and putting it back in the icebox.

“See y’all later!” With that, Hazel and Frank walk onto the street, Frank slinging a protective arm over Hazel’s shoulder.

Nico and Will sit in silence for a minute. Nico absentmindedly fingers a bass line in the air.

“When do finals end?”

“Next week, why?” Will answers. 

“Just wondering”

Will hums.

[plantingtomatoesmp3]

i never could've seen you coming (i think you're everything i wanted)

riordanverse | valgrace | rated t | 2667 words written for @ethannku as part of the @rrversesummerbang gift exchange!

Leo stares at Jason a lot. He knows this. He just can’t help it. It’s like his eyes have got a mind of their own—the second he’s even a little distracted, they wander around the deck of the Argo II and lock onto whatever Jason’s doing. Right now, he’s standing at the railing with Hazel and Frank, presumably talking about something Roman. His brow is furrowed, listening intently to what Frank is telling him, and gods, Leo wants to do nothing more than smooth out the crease between Jason’s eyebrows with his thumb— or, leo might have a bit of a crush. it leads to the expected amount of existential feelings. [read on ao3]

[mysunandmystar]

some valgrace affection for @im-always-lost-in-a-book @rrversesummerbang !!! happy holidays!! :D

[starrishly]

do you know why guitars cry?

Summary:

Thalia Grace was this close to blasting Percy with a lightning bolt. It was the first visit to Camp the Hunters were making in ages, and the two decided to place a bet. Given how competitive they both were, somebody probably should've stopped them. But, since no one did, the daughter of Zeus was stuck in a very annoying situation. or Thalia loses a bet and remembers an old talent.

my work for @rrversesummerbang 's event for @ssavinggrace !!

read on ao3

merry belated christmas and a happy new year !! i hope you like this <3

prompt: Thalia grace playing guitar

word count: 1,411

Thalia Grace was this close to blasting Percy with a lightning bolt.

It was the first visit to Camp the Hunters were making in ages, and the two decided to place a bet. Given how competitive they both were, somebody probably should've stopped them. But, since no one did, the daughter of Zeus was stuck in a very annoying situation.

Chiron gave the okay for a Capture the Flag game, news that spread like wildfire through the camp. Everyone started making alliances; the Hunters were part of Team Red alongside the Athena, Hades, Ares, Aphrodite, Hermes, Tyche, Nike, Nemesis and Hebe cabins.

Thalia couldn't deny that she was eager for the game to start. She was eating her lunch at the Hunters' table when Percy approached her, a grin etched on his face.

The girl raised a brow in question.

"I bet you anything we're going to win tonight," he challenged.

"As if. We always win."

"Nope, not this time," the boy replied, the grin still on his face. He was smart; he knew she wouldn't back down from a contest. 

The two stared at each other before the Hunter asked: "What are your terms?"

"The loser has to do anything the other says for the week." 

The girl's smile was now matching Percy's. "Oh, you're so losing this."

~

Team Red was currently strategizing in their tent, with 10 minutes until the start of the game.

Thalia's usual suggestion was to split in two- defense and offense- but Annabeth insisted on something more elaborate. Since she was the best strategist she knew, Thalia was content with letting her make a plan.

When the given time was over, the team was confident in their chances of winning. Thalia, Nico di Angelo, and some other Hunters would be the ones to capture the flag as the Ares and Aphrodite cabin distracted the others.

Annabeth assigned trap-setting duty to a few Hermes Cabin members while Cabin 6 would defend the flag. The remaining kids would divide, each protecting a border.

They all lined up in the middle of the forest. Annabeth was carrying their silver flag, which had laurels painted on it. It was made out of a shiny material that reflected the sunlight.

Team Blue kept it simple. The flag was cerulean, courtesy of Percy. Painted by every team member with various symbols, it was a cacophony of colors. Thalia's eyes hurt, but she had to admit they had a pretty good idea, letting everyone add something.

The Stolls were trying (and failing) to keep their laughter in. Annabeth just stared in shock. Someone from the Nemesis cabin asked: "Is that a carpet?"

The corners of Thalia's mouth turned up. They could see the flag from a mile away. This was going to be easy.

When everyone was aligned, Chiron blew the horn. In a split second, all campers ran off. Beside her, Vera and Macy, two Hunters, took their place. Nico di Angelo was somewhere behind. 

Their job was yet to begin. For now, the only thing they had to do was not get spotted.

Sometime later, as the group advanced through the forest, phase two of their plan started. The Ares cabin launched one of the emergency fireworks. 

That was their signal, meaning that the flag was unguarded. All they had to do was seize it.

The group ran as fast as they could. The few campers were easy to take down. Thalia almost reached the flag when she heard a scream behind her. 

Vera was caught in a trap. Thalia cursed, remembering Team Blue had the Hephaestus cabin on their side. With one look at Macy, they decided she would figure it out.

Nico suggested they should hurry since they could see the flag. Thalia agreed, but they were too late. She saw Jason and Percy carrying their flag and yelling.

When the boys stopped, Percy started to laugh. Thalia groaned in exasperation.

"How did we lose? Our defenses were so good!" Her tone betrayed confusion and annoyance.

"Well, I know your strategist a little too well." Percy turned towards his girlfriend with a cheeky smile.

Thalia turned to the girl, who gave her an embarrassed look. She sighed and shook their hands.

~

The stars shined brighter than usual that night, Thalia noticed. 

They were all gathered around the campfire. Tonight, it was vibrant yellow, reflecting the excitement of the winners.

Instead of sitting near her Hunters, the black-haired girl chose to sit near her little brother. She noticed Jason's teasing smirk as she sat down and playfully stuck her tongue out at him. 

Chiron finally arrived and took his place near the hearth. "Congratulations to tonight's winners! Until the next week, you are free from any chores." 

Team Blue cheered loudly. Meanwhile, most of Team Red groaned, knowing they had to clean bathrooms and wash dishes twice as much. While the Hunters didn't have chores, Thalia knew Percy hadn't claimed his prize. She was curious about what his first task would be.

Chiron stomped, bringing all attention to him again. 

"Now, the campfire activities may begin!"

The Apollo Cabin, as usual, took its place in front of the crowd. Instruments in hand, they followed the lead of Austin Lake. The boy wasn't the leader, but it was well known that the head counselor, Will Solace, couldn't sing to save his life.

Thalia would never admit that she enjoyed the light atmosphere or the songs about Grandma getting ready for war. It would bring endless mocking from her friends and wasn't in character. But she liked it anyway.

She allowed herself to relax a little until she caught Percy's eyes. The boy had that weird glint in his eye. He was up to something. She had a bad feeling it involved her.

As soon as the ongoing song ended, Percy walked over to Austin and whispered something in his ear. 

The son of Apollo listened, albeit a little confused. He glanced at her, his face scrunched up in thought, then turned towards the other and nodded. Percy grinned and started walking in Thalia's direction.

Not that she would show it, but she was panicking. When the boy got close enough, he began: "Thalia, my first task for you is...you have to play guitar!"

She stared at him for a moment, hoping he was joking. Thalia didn't even remember how to do that!

Okay, maybe she did. But she refused to do it. 

"Percy, what the hell," Thalia whisper-yelled. 

Unfortunately, she had no choice but to agree. The son of Poseidon looked overjoyed. Thalia wanted nothing more than to wipe that stupid grin off his face. Nonetheless, she moved closer to the hearth.

Austin carefully gave her his guitar, making the Hunter promise she wouldn't break it. It was beautiful and well-kept. The wood shined brightly in the fire's light.

"What am I even supposed to play?" 

Everyone shrugged, so Thalia started playing the first song that came to her mind. It was nothing special, an old, sentimental song, but the girl knew it by heart. Her fingers moved from one fret to another, lightly strumming the chords. She closed her eyes and went on.

Almost magically, the scenery changed. Thalia wasn't at Camp Halfblood anymore. Around her stretched a deep forest. A small makeshift fire was lit in front of her. 

A younger Annabeth was wrapped in a sleeping bag, staring at the stars as she listened to her friend play. A different guitar, smaller but loved, was resting in her hands.

Behind her, the Hunter heard a familiar voice.

"That's it, Thals! You got it." 

A soft smile appeared on her face at the sound. It was Luke's voice, and Thalia finally remembered why she hadn't played in so long.

He was the one who taught her, little by little, the art of using a guitar. She remembers his hands guiding her, his comforting words when she got something wrong. 

Thalia misses it, misses him, but she learned how to move on. 

When she strummed the last chord, she opened her eyes. Percy was staring at her, slightly gaping but beaming. Thalia then turned to Annabeth, who had a nostalgic look in her eyes and lips curved up.

"Surprised, Jackson?" she questions.

The boy shakes his head: "Not at all."

She returned to her seat and gave Austin the guitar. When she sat and noticed Jason's starry-eyed look, Thalia decided that this was the only family she needed.

[rrversesummerbang]

two days until gift drop day!

reminder that you can post earlier, but january 7th is the last day to post! if you have any concerns please reach out to me before then

[buoyantsaturn]

no one ever makes it out of life alive (no one's got it figured out at 25) (1/1)

merry christmas @thelordofshrimp!! i was your secret santa in the @rrversesummerbang exchange! <;3 summary: He lowered his sunglasses. “DOA records? My son was signed to your label - put out an album, went on tour, ring any bells? He’s apparently a regular at the coffee shop I just stopped at, if the kid at the drive-thru can be trusted--” word count: 2,101

read on ao3 | read no love | read emi's bagel fic

Nico had too much going on to deal with the man who just walked onto the studio floor. He was too tall, and too shiny, and he was wearing sunglasses inside, so he was probably an asshole anyway, and he was already inside, so Nico couldn’t pretend that the floor was closed. 

“Can I help you?” Nico asked, stopping by the front desk on his way to the practice room where Lou and Will were hidden away. 

The man flashed him a too-bright smile. “Hi there. I’m looking for my son - maybe you’ve seen him.” 

Nico raised an eyebrow. “This isn’t a daycare. Maybe you have the wrong address.”

He lowered his sunglasses. “DOA records? My son was signed to your label - put out an album, went on tour, ring any bells? He’s apparently a regular at the coffee shop I just stopped at, if the kid at the drive-thru can be trusted--”

“What’s his name?” Nico cut in, before the man could ramble any more. 

“Will Solace,” he answered, and Nico’s eyes went wide. “So… Is he here? I was told he’d be here.” 

Nico hesitated. He’d royally fucked up his first meeting with Will’s mom, and now he was trying to out-asshole Will’s dad. Maybe this was why he’d never gotten far enough into a relationship to meet the parents. “He, uh-- This way.” 

He waved for the man - Will’s father - Apollo, he preferred to be called, if Nico remembered correctly - to follow him down the hall, guiding him into the practice room they’d reserved for the day. 

There hadn’t been any actual practice taking place all day - Will had been stuck in his own head, and spent most of the morning laying across the couch with his head in Lou’s lap. 

“Is he…” Apollo asked quietly when he noticed Will’s state, “...alright?”

“He’s just being a little overdramatic,” Nico replied.

Apollo hummed. “Of course. He gets that from me, you know.” 

Will must have heard them, or seen them approaching out of the corner of his eye, because he suddenly shot upright and scrubbed his hands over his face. “Dad? What are you doing here?” 

“I happened to be in the area,” Apollo answered, “and I thought it was time I congratulated you on your new success.” 

Nico knew instantly that it was the wrong thing to say - he watched his boyfriend’s expression crumble. Will curled forward, his face in his hands as he tried to disguise a sob as a laugh. “Great! At least you can say you had one last day with your son before he dies!”  

As Will tipped sideways, falling into Lou’s lap again, Apollo moved closer, sitting on the arm of the couch by Will’s feet. “I’m sure you’re fine, kiddo. What’s the prognosis? I can help with the medical bills, if it gets to be too much for you to handle, so just say the word, and--”

“He’s not dying,” Lou cut in. “It’s the twenty-seven curse.” 

Apollo scoffed. “But that’s years away! Why would you be worried about that already?” 

Nico frowned. “He’s almost twenty-six.” 

“Wait, really?” Apollo’s eyes went wide, and he tipped his sunglasses down again to show them. “You’re not twenty-three?” 

“That’s Austin,” Will grumbled. “I’m twenty-five, and I recently skyrocketed to fame, which means I’m right on track to die!”

Nico rolled his eyes - he’d heard it all a thousand times already that day. “Sure. Except you don’t do drugs, aside from smoking the occasional joint, and the most dangerous thing I’ve seen you do in the last year was cross the street without looking both ways first.” 

“On a one-way street,” Lou added, “when there were no cars. And the sign said to walk.”

“Great,” Will wailed, flopping onto his back and kicking one of his feet into his father’s lap. “I’m going to die young, and the life I led was boring.”  

“Will, baby,” Apollo said, pushing Will’s foot away and standing, “you’re not even headlining your own tours yet. You may be in the papers, but you’re not on the front page, if you know what I mean. You’re not famous yet.” He let out a disbelieving laugh. “Nobody’s going to care if you die.”

Nico’s jaw dropped, too stunned to come to Will’s defense. He could see in Lou’s eyes that she was seconds away from shouting what the fuck? but before either could react further, Will sat up, his mouth in a perfect O-shape as though he’d been struck with an epiphany. 

“You’re right,” he said, voice soft. He shot his father a smile. “Thanks, dad.” 

Apollo ruffled his hair. “Happy to help, kiddo. Now, what does a man have to do to get a tour of the studio?” 

Will jumped to his feet. “I’ve got you covered!” He pulled Apollo into a hug, then led him out of the room. 

As soon as they were gone, Nico and Lou shared a look. 

“Okay, for real,” Lou started, and Nico joined in to add, “What the fuck?”  

Will had spent about half of the day with his father before happily shipping him off to be somebody else’s problem, and only made it back home after Nico had locked himself away in the basement studio for the evening. 

Apparently, Will had had too much time to himself - or maybe too much time with his father - because Nico was woken the next morning by a hand shaking his shoulder and a too-peppy voice saying, “Baby, Nico, babe, wake up.” 

Nico let out a groan, letting himself slump over, glaring up at Will. 

Will beamed back. “I know what I’m going to do with my life!” 

“I hope it has something to do with the three-album contract we signed,” Nico grumbled.

“Yeah, duh,” Will said, a playful roll of his eyes. “Of course. But I also want to learn how to play the bass, and the piano, and maybe you can show me some basic stuff on the drums. And I want to go back to school, and I think I’m going to switch to a different gym that has a pool, ‘cause I’ve really missed diving, and--”

Nico pressed his hand over Will’s mouth, silencing him. “Stop talking,” he said, “until you’ve made more coffee. Because you clearly drank the whole pot.” 

“I haven’t had any coffee,” Will told him, his voice muffled. “I’m just really excited.” 

“No, no,” Nico said, shaking his head, and added a shh to the end. “Shut up until I’ve had coffee.” 

Will pulled Nico’s hand away. “I’ll start the pot.” He darted down, pecking at Nico’s lips, then flew off the bed and out of the room. 

Nico took his time rolling out of bed, waiting until the smell of fresh coffee coaxed him out of the room. As he stepped into the kitchen, he stretched his arms over his head, and Will grabbed one of his hands out of the air. Will gave him a twirl, then threw him away before dragging him back in, spinning Nico around until Will’s arm was wrapped around his waist from behind. And while Nico was dizzy and disoriented, Will dipped him backwards and guided him into a kiss. 

“Why do I put up with you?” Nico asked, his eyes narrowing.

Will grinned. “I could drop you, you know.” 

He pulled Nico back to his feet and gave him a gentle nudge toward the bar stools next to the island, where he sat and waited for the coffee to finish brewing. Once it was done, Will made him a cup, just how he liked it and in his favorite mug. 

Through the magic of coffee, Nico had one sip, and suddenly felt human again. “Hang on, why the fuck would you go back to school?” 

“Welcome to the conversation,” Will teased. “I’ve always planned on going back - I was never just going to be an EMT. But then The Voice happened, and I got a little sidetracked. I’ve always wanted more than just an associate’s degree, even if I’m not really going to do anything with it. It’d just be nice to know that I have a degree to fall back on, you know?” 

Nico frowned. “Why would you need something to fall back on?” 

“It’s not like I’m going to be a rockstar when I’m sixty,” Will pointed out.

“No, of course not, but I figured we’d be retired by then.” 

Will’s face lit up. “Oh, we? I didn't realize we were at the joint-401k stage of the relationship yet.” 

Nico rolled his eyes. “Right, I forgot that gay marriages dissolve when both parties are no longer hot, young, and fuckable.” 

Will leaned forward against the island, reaching out with one hand to tip Nico’s chin up, his thumb brushing against Nico’s bottom lip. “Baby, you are always going to be hot and fuckable to me.” 

Nico snorted, and knocked Will’s hand away. “Your proposal needs work,” he commented before drinking more of his coffee. “Do you have, like, a plan for school? How’s that going to work when we’re making another album, or going on another world tour? And how are you supposed to step inside a college with that face?” 

“Honey, they let blonds go to school now,” Will told him earnestly. “Elle Woods did a lot for our people.” 

Nico rolled his eyes, his head tipping back with the force. Then, he reached out for Will’s hand, giving in to the sudden desire for contact between them. “C’mon, walk me through it. What’s the plan?” 

Will flipped his palm up, allowing Nico to trace the lines in his skin with the tips of his fingers. “I’m thinking about applying to UCLA - they have a lot of options for online classes, which I plan to take as much as possible, so I can keep my schedule mostly flexible. But I’ll definitely have to take a few labs--”

“Labs?” Nico’s nose wrinkled. “Why would you have to take labs?” 

“Because there’s no college on the planet that would give you a bachelor’s in sciences without taking labs.” 

“Why would you be going for sciences?” Nico asked. “You’re a musician.”  

“Why would I go for music when I can learn anything I want to know from you?” Will countered. “I’m going to major in biochemistry, babe.” 

Nico tried not to look horrified, but the STEM fields had always seemed like a unique form of torture to him. To go into it willingly-- Nico might have to rethink his attachment to the man in front of him. “Why on earth would you do that?” 

Will grinned. “So I can sneak chemical compounds into all of our songs.” 

“No,” Nico said, realizing instantly that Will wasn’t taking his question seriously. “Try again.” 

“So I can prove without a shadow of a doubt that we have chemistry,” he said, scooping up Nico’s hand and pressing a kiss to his knuckles. 

Nico shoved his face away. “No. Next.” 

“Because I want to,” Will told him. “I’ve always wanted to, and I’m really excited about this. Baby,” he said, taking Nico’s hand again and cradling it between both of his own, “can I trust you to support my decision?” 

“Of course I’m going to support you,” Nico told him, and bit his tongue before he could add, emotionally and financially, apparently. “But…where is this coming from, all of a sudden? I mean, yesterday, you thought you were going to drop dead in a year and a half.” 

Will shrugged. “It’s just…what my dad said. Nobody cares enough about me for the twenty-seven curse to take me, you know? So why worry about it?” 

“So, you’re going to go back to school, and we’re going to put out another album, and probably do a few more tours, and then in two years, you’ll be so successful that you’ll be prime for the taking,” Nico summed up. “Did none of that cross your mind?” 

“Of course it did,” Will said, smiling brightly, “which is why I’m going to become wildly successful in three years, so I can beat the curse and still sneak onto the thirty-under-thirty list.” 

“Pretty sure that’s for, like, business owners,” Nico told him, “not just anybody who thinks they’re special.” 

He shrugged again. “Fine. Then how about you take over DOA so that you can be one of the thirty under thirty, and then we can be the ultimate power couple.” 

Nico raised an eyebrow. “And what are you doing to add to the power?” 

“I dunno,” Will said, “maybe I’ll get myself on the cover of a magazine, or something.” 

[ssavinggrace]

for @starrishly as part of @rrversesummerbang's 2023 gift exchange!

the prompt was valgrace band au and well-

i did a little more 🤏🏻

leo:

jason:

piper:

a little magazine cover style! <3

at the bottom of the post will be without text versions

i also threw in a little shelper (shel x piper)

and last but not least, a solo of Jason

without text:

[thebhorror]

i'd be home with you

for @moodyjazzyblues as part of @rrversesummerbang's 2023 gift exchange

summary: “I missed you too,” Nico admitted, his voice muffled from pressing his face into Will’s chest. He knew that they eventually would have to get out of bed, but between Will’s comforting scent and his warm arms and the pattering of rain, Nico was quickly lulled back to sleep. Waking up could wait. They had decades more of time together to get around to doing so.

or, Nico and Will leave camp to live in a cottage of their own in the forest

read on ao3

As Nico neared adult age (something that was equal parts exciting and terrifying) he realized that demigods who made it to adulthood usually had one of two fates. They either went on to go to school and live in New Rome, or they died. It was a sad and morose, but true fact. New Rome was one of the only safe places for demigods, so it made sense that when they chose not to go to New Rome, they met their early demise. It seemed unfair that those were seemingly the only two options.

 As more and more of their peers got older, Nico and Will watched everyone go down one of those paths. They visited their friends on their birthdays, spending good portions of the summer celebrating and hanging out with their friends who decided to retire and live a quiet life in New Rome. They watched as people lived a life that was mostly safe, and rarely ever dangerous. It was as close to domestic bliss as demigods seemed to get. 

Nico and Will remembered their friends long gone on solemn days, their memory kept alive through pictures and stories they came across every so often. Once in a while, a statue would be erected in their honor, and no matter how artists tried to capture the life that was present in their friends when they were breathing, it was just never the same. It never filled the hole, never filled the void left by the ones who died.

And so, choosing death or New Rome was what most everyone they knew did as they grew up. But, Nico and Will weren’t like everyone else. They never were, so of course they chose neither of the popular choices for adulthood. Instead of either dying young or moving across the country, Nico and Will built a cottage in the woods of upstate New York for the two of them to live in. And it was one of the best decisions they had ever made. 

*

The rain from outside poured down in sheets, loud enough to wake Nico up as it pounded on the roof of their home. But, he didn’t mind that much, not with Will’s warm arms wrapped around him, squeezing him in close. He enjoyed the near silence, the only noise coming from the soothing rain and Will’s quiet breathing. He liked how quiet their home was, how secluded and safe he felt in it. Nico smiled as he soaked in Will’s warmth. He knew that on a day like this, the cold would chill him to the bone, and that as long as he stayed in bed with Will, he wouldn’t be frozen.

Soon though, as he always did, Will stirred awake. He tightened his grasp around Nico and Nico felt him press a soft kiss to his forehead. “Good morning,” Will said, his voice low and raspy with sleep. Nico leaned up to look up at Will’s face from where his head was nestled on Will’s chest. He pressed a kiss to his boyfriend’s jaw line.

“Good morning,” Nico replied, settling back down and leaning in close to Will. He buried his face in Will’s soft sleep shirt, wanting nothing more than to be tangled with Will and never leave his side, as impractical as that was.

“I missed you,” Will said, as if he hadn’t been sleeping soundly without a trace of distress mere moments before. Despite the fact that Nico rolled his eyes when Will said that, his heart couldn’t help but feel warmed and melted at the fact that Will liked - no, loved- him like that. He seemed to never get used to it, never truly believing that anyone like Will could love someone like Nico. It seemed impossible, too good to be true and yet here he and Will were, eight years after they started dating, and they still woke up tangled in each other’s arms. It was a dream come true, and Nico knew that for the rest of his life, he and Will would always be together. 

“I missed you too,” Nico admitted, his voice muffled from pressing his face into Will’s chest. He knew that they eventually would have to get up, but between Will’s comforting scent and his warm arms and the pattering of rain, Nico was quickly lulled back to sleep. Waking up could wait. They had decades more of time together to get around to doing so. 

*

Leaving the demigod world had been a surprisingly easy choice. As they rapidly approached eighteen, Nico and Will knew that they couldn’t stay at Camp Half-Blood for forever. No one did. And no matter how many times either of them joked about staying as staff members, joining the small staff of Chiron, Mr. D, Argus, and the Harpies, none of the staff jumped on their (partly joking, but mostly serious) offer. In fact, Chiron seemed kind of disappointed whenever they brought it up, like he expected more from them. So, staying at camp indefinitely (potentially for the rest of their lives) was not an option. 

Their next thought was to try living amongst mortals. That was quickly dismissed, as both Nico and Will had spent far too long entrenched in mythos to exist in the normal world. They discussed, briefly, Will attending a mortal college and eventually going to med school, but quickly decided that that idea was not for him. “How the hell am I supposed to go back to normal life and go to school with a bunch of normal young adults and relearn all the things I’ve been doing since I was ten?” Will asked when Nico suggested it. 

It made Nico laugh when he really thought about it, because Will was right. He would both be far too advanced compared to his peers who would not have the same experience he did, while also behind them at the same time. Will couldn’t use his powers fairly and discreetly to help with healing like he did at camp, and Nico knew that trying to treat without that would be a struggle for his boyfriend. Not to mention the fact that living in the mortal world full of technology would be incredibly unsafe for them.

New Rome wasn’t for them either when they entertained that idea. It had its perks. It was a safe place for them, it was close to their friends and Nico’s only living family. They could go to school, get jobs, and build a family together. It was everything they never let themselves even imagine having, because it just seemed too good to be true. Theoretically it was perfect.

But, Will felt apprehensive about the whole thing, unsure of moving across the country, not quite positive he wanted to go to school and get a job. His opinion was that they had saved the world, saved people. Why did they have to continue to contribute? Why couldn’t they have some time just to themselves, time to relax and retire peacefully? 

And, as often as Nico had gone to Camp Jupiter and New Rome as an ambassador and then later as a friend, it never felt like his home. Nico felt like an outsider almost every place he went, but the feeling was especially strong when he was with the Romans. Nico wasn’t sure if the feeling would ever go away, and he didn’t want them to uproot their lives, only for him to feel miserable and unwanted. It wouldn’t be healthy for him. It was a unanimous decision for them to not choose New Rome as their final destination, much to Hazel’s dismay, who had practically begged the two of them to move there.

It was Will who had been the one to suggest that he and Nico think about building themselves a cottage in the woods. The idea had been a sudden one, one that surprised Nico. 

“It sounds like a horror movie plot. Has this been a long con, Solace? Was this relationship all a ploy to kill me in the woods?” Nico asked, not sure if Will was serious about his suggestion. How could he be sure, when Will had never mentioned anything like this before? 

Will rolled his eyes, but still responded to Nico. “Yes, Nico. That’s exactly what all of this has been. You’ve figured out my evil plot- oh no!” He sighed before continuing on. “No. Of course not, dummy. It’s just-” Will trailed off, seemingly having a difficult time trying to figure out what to say. “It’s just that we’re having a hard time figuring out where to go. We don’t exactly fit in anywhere. So, why not make our own place away from everyone else? We can visit people when we want to, or stay away from everyone but ultimately, we’re not tied to any one world. We can do whatever we want.”

Nico pondered what Will said for a moment, before leaning forward toward his boyfriend. “Freedom sounds… nice. I’m intrigued. Go on.” Will eagerly shared his idea with Nico, who, with every word Will spoke, became more and more interested in the idea. As crazy and potentially unattainable as it sounded, it would be so nice. Nico quickly warmed up to the idea, and could not envision any other future for them. That was it. This was what they were supposed to do. 

*

Nico was the one who usually cooked. He wasn’t good at it, but honestly neither was Will, who was far too worried about getting the measurements right and was prone to over cooking and over seasoning things. As a result, most of the responsibilities of keeping them fed fell on Nico by default.

Making breakfast, however, was Will’s forte. For whatever reason, he could make a perfectly cooked omelet and delicious pancakes and roasted potatoes. His waffles were to die for, and Nico swore when he ate his french toast that if he hadn’t known Will’s dad was Apollo, Nico would have thought that his boyfriend’s dad was the god of breakfast. Nico got their coffees ready while Will cracked eggs into a pan, scrambling them to fluffy, delicious perfection. “I don’t know how you do it,” Nico said from where he observed Will’s cooking from over his shoulder. 

“I have to be good at something so you keep me around,” Will joked, which made Nico roll his eyes.

“I would keep you around even if you weren’t good at anything,” Nico said, pressing his forehead to Will’s back. He pressed a kiss in the middle of his back and wrapped his arms around Will’s waist. He knew that Will wouldn’t let him hang onto him for long, especially while cooking, so he enjoyed it while it lasted.

“Really? You want to keep me around?” Will asked with a laugh. “Wow, keep talking like that and I might get the idea that you like like me or something,” Will teased.

“I guess you could say that,” Nico replied, his voice muffled from where his face was pressed to Will’s back. “That I like you or something. It’s not like we have been together for almost ten years or anything.”

“Definitely not. Now move back. I gotta get these eggs off of the stove or else they’ll burn.” Nico sighed dramatically but did as Will asked, because Will really did make the best eggs and it would be a shame to let them go to waste. 

They ate breakfast together in a companionable silence, talking only to ask the other to pass the homemade grape jam or to mention something small and trivial. Nico had put one of his legs on Will’s lap during the meal wanting to be as close to Will as possible. By the end of it, Will was gripping his ankle with his free hand, rubbing his thumb up and down it, his touch warm and familiar. As nice as it was to sit there quietly, enjoying each other’s company, Nico knew that soon they would have to really start their day. He and Will were not in a rush to do anything anymore, but they still did have things they wanted to do.

They no longer did things out of obligation, but rather did them by choice, and it was maybe one of the best changes to come from their new life.

“Thank you for breakfast,” Nico said quietly, breaking the silence between them.

Will shrugged, but still shot a smile in Nico’s direction. Even though it was the smallest of thank yous, Will still grinned like he won the lottery, like Nico’s praise was worth everything to him. “It was nothing.”

“I still appreciate it,” Nico said. He leaned forward and kissed Will, before moving his leg off of him and standing. “I’ll do the dishes,” he offered, knowing that Will hated doing the dishes. And, as much as Nico also hated doing them, he felt like being nice. He was feeling extra sappy and in love, so he was going to do something nice for Will, even if it was a simple, mundane gesture of affection. 

“I knew there was a reason I loved you,” Will teased. Nico rolled his eyes in response but washed the dishes nonetheless. He would wash the dishes every day if it made Will happy. Will deserved that much and more.

*

It wasn’t a project they could have undertaken alone. Neither of them had any experience with building or architecture, so while they started dreaming of their home almost immediately after Will suggested it, it took some time for the cottage to be built. Eventually, they shared their idea with some Athena and Hephaestus campers. Within a year, their home was completed, better than they had anticipated it looking, like a dream come true.

It was a small home, nestled deep in the woods. The forest around it was so thick it was nearly impossible to find their location, even if you knew the way. It consisted of one bedroom, one bathroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a dining room. Despite their best efforts to keep the space as open and clean as possible, their home quickly became filled with knick knacks- souvenirs from their friends’ travels, books, animal skulls that Nico found in the woods near their home, candles, small pots of flowers. Every so often, they discussed expanding their home, but found they didn’t want to. They liked the coziness and it was their perfect house, the one they envisioned and planned together. Living anywhere else, even in a modified version of the house, would feel wrong. They didn’t want to change a thing about it and instead vowed to collect less and get rid of more (which they never did).

Nico’s favorite part of it was the window seat on the second floor by their bedroom. He could spend hours sitting there, looking out into the woods. For Will, his favorite part was the living room, and specifically the fireplace. It wasn’t always cold where they had built their home, but he loved starting a fire during the colder, wetter days. Winters were long and hard and dark, and so their days more often than not ended with them curled up on the couch under blankets, with the fire crackling happily. Nico had to admit the fireplace was pretty nice (and that he didn’t mind watching Will chop wood for the fire, only to make sure that he was safe, and not for any other reason). 

They loved their little home and all it had to offer them. Nico was unsure a few times throughout the building process, but looking back on the decision, it had been the right one. They were exactly where they were supposed to be. He couldn’t picture them anywhere else. Nothing else would have been right for them.

*

The rain had, by some miracle, subsided once breakfast was over, though it was still dark and gloomy outside. Nico opted to stay inside, catching up on some reading he was doing for some mythological creature Hazel wanted a second opinion on, while Will went outside.

Will’s pride and joy of his life currently was the garden in their backyard. Will had never expressed any true interest in gardening prior to them moving into their home. He never had time to. Back at camp, his first priority was the infirmary. However, once they were settled into their home, Will began doing research on plants. At first, it was purely for medicinal purposes. There were things Will hadn’t studied or learned about previously due to lack of time, lack of energy. He had always been so busy at camp, working himself to the bone. Now, though, they had all the time in the world.

So, Will dedicated a lot of his free time to learning about plants and their healing properties. Soon, though, that wasn’t enough. Will was always someone who was hungry for more, so simply reading about plants grew old rather quickly. Nico woke up one day to the bed suspiciously cold and empty. He panicked at first, assuming the worst, figuring that Will finally had enough of Nico. To Nico, it seemed inevitable that one day Will would realize that he could do better than Nico, that he would leave in the middle of the night without a trace, leaving Nico all alone like Nico felt he deserved.

Nico got out of bed after feeling the emptiness in the pit of his stomach growing and half heartedly looked around the house for Will, sure that he would find all of Will’s stuff gone and the house empty except for him. He was surprised to see Will’s toothbrush still in the bathroom, and Will’s cup of coffee dirtied on the kitchen table. He just assumed Will forgot some things before he left, but when Nico looked outside the kitchen window, he saw Will outside, shovel in hand.

Nico felt his heart soar when he realized he wasn’t left behind. He opened the window and yelled, “Will! What are you doing?”

“Gardening,” Will replied, like it was obvious, like this wasn’t the first time he had ever expressed interest in truly starting a garden of his own. Nico nodded and accepted it, thrilled that Will was still there and assuming Will would entertain his new interest for a few weeks before getting bored, as he so often did when he cycled between hobbies. But here they were, years later, and Will’s garden was still going strong and growing every day.

Despite the fact that he should be reading, Nico couldn’t help but watch Will lovingly going plant by plant, examining them and picking what was ready to be harvested. Though it was still overcast outside, Will still seemed to shine. In their new, quiet life, far removed from mythos, it was easy to forget that the two of them were demigods, that they still had powers whether they utilized them or not. But, when Will was outside in his element, when he was gardening, he seemed to glow. Of course he could be no one but Apollo’s son. 

Will was hard for Nico to look away from, and so he spent most of the afternoon alternating between reading his book and watching his boyfriend working. Whenever Will would look up and see Nico watching he would laugh and wave, which would make Nico blush and look away. Obviously, he loved Will more than he loved anyone or anything else, but it was still embarrassing to be that head over heels for the boy. He liked to pretend he was coy, as if Will didn’t know that he had Nico wrapped around his finger. Affection was easy and natural to him most days, but that didn’t mean he wanted to be noticed like that by Will. 

But, as embarrassed as he was that he was so obviously smitten with Will, he and Will had more than earned this life and Nico intended to enjoy every second of it. They deserved to live a serene, peaceful life after everything they had been through. To Nico, who spent years alone, without a home, tired, scared, and unloved, he thought a life with someone he loved was impossible. And yet here he was, with a boyfriend who loved him in a house that they shared. Nico thought he would never make it to adulthood, let alone make it past the age of fourteen, and so if he wanted to stare at his boyfriend while he worked in the garden, then he had more than earned that right.

*

Right before they had moved into their home, when it was only a few weeks until it was completed, Nico left camp. He hadn’t even planned on doing so, but Nico woke up one morning, when it was still dark out, and felt the need to leave. Energy flowed through his body, a nervous one that he knew he couldn’t shake unless he ran away and took some time to be alone. 

Nico thought he had long outgrown the restless feeling he used to get in his bones when he was a teenager. It was a feeling he couldn’t ignore unless he tried to outrun it, a feeling of worry and inadequacy and loneliness. It had been a long time since Nico had been outside of Camp Half-Blood unless he had good reason to be. But, now, for some reason, he felt like he had to get out or he was going to scream.

He wrote Will a note, saying that he would be back, telling him not to worry (even though Will would, he always did) and he shadow traveled far away. Nico had spent the entire day wandering around some small town he ended up in, unsure of where exactly he was. He wasn’t sure why he was there, what he was doing, and how long he wanted to be there for. All he knew was that far away from camp, he felt like he could breathe.

After a few hours of thinking and wandering and agonizing over what was happening, Nico finally parsed what he was really feeling. The entire construction process had been long and overwhelming and hard, but now that they were coming up on the completion of their home, Nico was scared. And, worst of all, Nico felt ridiculous and silly, childish for feeling that way. What did he have to be scared about?

He was committed to Will, and he wanted to be with him for forever, but what if something went wrong? What if they moved into their home and realized one day that they didn’t love each other anymore? What if they made a huge mistake? And, even worse, if that was all the case, then what was next? What would they do? Would Nico just spend the rest of his life alone? Would Will hate him?  

All of it was horrifying to entertain, and though he wanted to stay away, wanted to never return so he didn’t have to see his life fall apart, Nico didn’t. He couldn’t. He loved Will too much to stay away, as terrified as he was. As the sun began to set, Nico gathered up the courage to shadow travel back to camp, despite the fact that he was not looking forward to Will’s reaction to what happened. 

It was a testament to how much Nico had grown, however, that he went back at all. The Nico of a few years ago would never have done that. He didn’t want to leave Will in the dark. He wanted to talk about what he was feeling so that they could work this out, just like they always did.

Nico arrived back at camp, thrilled to not immediately see anyone. He was happy his return went undetected and went back to his cabin. There, he found Will sitting there, clearly waiting for his return. He looked up as Nico entered but said nothing as Nico slipped off his shoes and gathered his thoughts. Nico judged how he should approach the conversation. He wanted to be with Will, wanted to spend forever with him in their perfect home built specifically for them, but that was scary. Things would be final, and Will leaving him after all that would make him feel so much worse. Why was loving someone, and the prospect of forever, so fucking scary?

Luckily, Will spoke first before Nico had to.  “Why?” Will asked and Nico felt his stomach tie up in knots. Nico considered turning around, considered avoiding Will’s question. But when he could bring himself to look into Will’s eyes, the eyes he could look at and always know he was safe, he knew that he was being reckless, that he was throwing everything away because he was scared. And that was stupid.

Why, after all these years, did he still struggle with being loved, being wanted? Why, at the last second, with a commitment of a lifetime together just within his grasp, was he nervous? He knew he still had issues, still had a hard time accepting that he was loveable and worthy and even just plain good, but he did not think that it all ran this deep.

So, instead of shadow traveling away, instead of hiding from Will for the rest of his life, Nico sighed and sat down on the bed next to Will, tears forming in his eyes.

It was a long and hard hour that followed. But at the end of it, despite crying for most of the conversation, Nico felt lighter somehow. He knew that this wouldn’t be the end of this conversation for them, that he had hurt Will, that he was going to have to work on himself for him and Will to really work long term. But, as he laid in his bed with Will’s arms wrapped around him, he couldn’t understand why he had even felt the need to leave earlier that day. This was where he belonged, with Will.

Will was, and would always be, it for him. Will was his person, his best friend, the love of his life, his partner in every sense of the word. There was no one and there would never be anyone who Nico wanted to be with for the rest of his life. And he was excited, at the heart of it all, for their new life together. He loved Will, and though it was scary to be vulnerable, he was more than willing to work through it. Will was worth that and more.

*

After hours of working in the garden, Will eventually came inside. He deposited one basket full of vegetables on the table, while he put his other basket full of herbs away for him to use later to make various at home remedies. Nico was happy to see chamomile in the mixture. Will used it to make tea leaves, but also it was also helpful for inflammation. Even after all those years, even though it had been five years since Nico last picked up his sword, his joints still ached from the years of wear and tear and misuse. A lot of the things Will grew helped with the pain leftover from saving the world, and Nico was forever grateful for it.

“I’m going to shower but we should start thinking about dinner,” Will said, his eyes bright despite the fact that his forehead was shiny with sweat and he had dirt caked under his fingernails. He leaned into Nico, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him in close. Nico smiled as Will pressed a kiss to the side of Nico’s head.

“I can make soup,” Nico offered, looking at the basket of vegetables Will brought in. “We have mushrooms, leeks, and potatoes. I think there’s some other vegetables that we still have we can use.” Nico thought that soup was always best on a cold, rainy day. Plus, it was easy to make and pretty much impossible to screw up. Between both of their meager attempts at cooking, they had both had enough subpar food to last them a lifetime.

“That sounds perfect. If you want to wait I can help,” Will offered. Nico shook his head. 

“You brought all of these things in. Besides, you made breakfast. I can do something,” Nico replied. He partially wanted to cook for Will because he liked cooking for him and partially because he still felt the need to prove his worth, prove that Will made the right choice for choosing Nico as his forever partner. 

“I cracked some eggs in a pan and toasted some bread. It was nothing,” Will argued, but Nico shook his head, not wanting to hear it.

“Not a chance Solace. Now, go shower. You are tracking mud in here,” Nico said, pulling away from Will. “And then I’ll be really annoyed if you dirty our floors.” Will laughed and didn’t argue, instead saluting Nico and turning to take off his dirty shoes and then shower. Nico smiled while he peeled potatoes, listening to Will’s off tune singing in the shower. 

*

When they first moved into their home upon completion, it was a big adjustment. Nico and Will spent the first few weeks waiting for something to happen- for them to be summoned back to camp, for a monster to find them. They fully anticipated anything that could happen and disrupt their life. Will eventually let his guard down after a few weeks though, when the threats proved to be nonexistent. But, for some reason, Nico couldn’t.

When Nico was first getting used to the lifestyle, he spent a lot of time not feeling like it was real. Like he was watching a movie of his life, or experiencing it second hand. He spent a lot of time at the window seat on the second floor, looking out the window, thinking, watching, waiting for everything to dissolve right before his eyes. At first, Will encouraged it. “You need down time. I’m happy you’re just relaxing. I mean, you more than anyone else deserves it.” But, as the weeks went on, as Nico continued to find it difficult to do much more than sit around, Will got concerned.

“You need a hobby,” Will said one day. Nico looked at Will briefly and shrugged before turning back to watch out the window. 

“I have hobbies,” Nico responded. 

“Staring out the window and moping is not a hobby,” Will pointed out, which made Nico roll his eyes.

“I read and draw and- wait. I am not moping!” Nico retorted. “I am just… watching.”

Will walked toward Nico, his stern expression softening into one much more concerned with every step he took. Somehow, a worried Will was harder to face than a stern one. “Nico, you’re joking, right? You haven’t done those things in a while. Not since we left camp. At first I thought you were just enjoying being here, but now I’m worried.”

Nico frowned, feeling surprised. He knew that he had been acting kind of… weird lately, to put it lightly. But, he hadn’t thought it was that big of a deal. He just couldn’t fully relax, couldn’t let his guard down. Sure, logically he knew they were safe. He did not know why he expected it all to come crashing down. Because, clearly, nothing had happened yet. They had plenty of shields, plenty of wards, a security system of sort in place that kept them hidden away from monsters and humans alike. It was ridiculous to expect that everything would fail and leave them exposed to threats. Maybe because a quiet life away from mythos was an amazing, hard to believe feat, it made Nico feel so on edge. Maybe he felt like this because Nico was just used to feeling uneasy. Whatever the case was, it was clear that old habits were dying hard.

Instead of responding to Will, Nico looked down at his hands, which had begun playing with a loose string on his shirt. Will crouched down when he got close to Nico and grabbed one of Nico’s hands. Rubbing his thumb across the back of Nico’s hand, Will spoke softly to Nico. “You know it’s okay, right? You don’t have to watch out for us. Everything is okay. I’m here and you’re here and that’s all that matters. This is supposed to be fun and exciting and safe.”

“It is,” Nico insisted, feeling guilty, like he wasn’t enjoying their house and living with Will enough. He was enjoying it, and he did not want to give Will the wrong idea. “It is fun. I am just… scared.”

“Me too,” Will admitted. Nico shot Will a look that clearly showed that he didn’t believe him. “It’s a lot, but we’re okay. I promise. We will be there for each other and keep each other safe and everything will be okay.” Nico did his best to believe Will, despite the nagging feeling in his stomach that made him so nauseous, he thought he could potentially throw up at any minute.

In the days that followed, Nico tried his best to enjoy things. He helped make breakfast (which he and Will mostly burned but still ate while laughing with each other) and sat outside while Will worked in his garden. He curled up on the couch with Will later that night, hands clasped tight, while Nico read out loud a book he was currently working his way through. He went to bed every night with Will’s arms tightly wrapped around him, and Nico slowly began to feel more hopeful and safe as time went on.

With time, things got better, got easier. On his particularly more difficult days, Nico felt scared, felt trapped, felt on edge. But, those days were few and far between as the years went on. It helped, always having Will to help Nico pull himself back when he got too stuck in his own head. Nico had grown to know and recognize and believe that he and Will were more than deserving of the perfect life they had together. And so maybe, a few decades together living a quiet life was exactly their reward, as hard as it was to conceive.

Nico was going to enjoy it, for however long he and Will could have it, even if it killed him. 

*

After they cleaned up from dinner, they spent the night as they usually did. Nico curled up on the couch with his sketchbook, while Will put logs into the fireplace and set them ablaze. Once the fire started going, Will sat down and began going through his notes, taking inventory of the herbs he had picked during the day. Nico alternated between working on a drawing he was doing for Hazel’s birthday and watching what Will was doing. Partly because what Will was doing was interesting, and partly because like when Will was working in the garden earlier, Nico loved to see Will work.

Watching Will work had been one of Nico’s favorite things to do while they were at camp. Hours upon hours were spent watching Will treat campers in the infirmary. Nico had memorized the furrow of Will’s brow when he was concentrating and learned the way he smiled in such a bright, comforting way that it made anyone feel at ease. Nico considered himself a Will connoisseur- he knew more about him than anyone else, and he felt proud of it. It also meant that Nico didn’t understand how someone could watch Will in his element and not immediately fall in love with him.

Though Will’s days of being a combat medic were far behind him, he still gave that same dedication to everything he did. Whether it was tending to his garden, writing down observations in his journal, making at home remedies, or loving Nico, he always seemed to give it everything he had, like it was impossible for him to do anything part way. Will was kind and tender and thorough, an excellent person to love and be loved by. 

Even though they had been together for approaching a decade now, Nico never got used to Will, never got sick of him, never stopped loving him as much as he loved him during the early phases of their relationship. He was just as madly in love with Will as he was the first day of their relationship, and he knew he always would be. He loved Will, and Will loved him, and that was all that truly mattered in their lives. Everything else was superfluous. 

Everything else could be falling apart, but as long as he had Will, it was all he needed.

“I can feel you staring,” Will said, breaking their comfortable silence. Nico quickly looked away, feeling his cheeks heat up. 

“Shut up,” Nico replied, crossing his arms. “I was simply… observing.”

“Observing,” Will repeated, a hint of amusement in his voice. “Just like you were observing earlier today while I was working outside?” Nico rolled his eyes.

“Yes. Observing. I love that… parsley you have,” Nico said, squinting and trying to make out what plant Will was currently journaling about.

“It’s peppermint,” Will replied with a laugh.

“Whatever,” Nico responded, fully going back to his book, pouting. Will scratched a few more words into his notebook, before storing both his journal and plants back into their respective places. He then joined Nico on the couch, who was still pouting, but slightly less so. Will held out his arms in Nico’s direction, and though he was still mock angry at Will, he climbed into his boyfriend’s arms. They spent most of the night like that, enjoying each other’s company. It felt similar to the nights they would spend around the campfire, talking and laughing, sharing stories and jokes until far too late. Now, they were just a bit older and they had a house of their own and lives that were so intertwined it was hard to tell where one began and one ended. Nico never wanted to go back. This was where he was always meant to be.

They went to bed that night, hours later, their limbs a tangled mess. Nico could feel Will’s breath on his head while he held him close. “I love you so much I feel like I can’t handle it sometimes,” Will whispered. Nico hummed in agreement, feeling similarly. “Like, I feel like no one has ever loved each other the way that we love each other.”

“Like what we have is special,” Nico replied, understanding what Will meant. “Like we are soulmates, like we were made for each other and destined to be together forever.” 

“Yeah, exactly.” Will was silent for a few moments, before continuing speaking. “I’ll love you until I die and then some,” Will said in the darkness, squeezing Nico tighter and pulling him in closer.

“Death couldn’t stop us,” Nico replied. “I don’t think there is a force strong enough to break us apart. No me without you. And also I love you too.” Nico drifted off to sleep, knowing that he and Will had the rest of their life ahead of them, and then longer. Nothing could ever tear them apart.

[moonlightswritingandstuff]

How to Not Panic About Godhood: A Guide by Nico di Angelo

for @persuespost, in the pjo gift exchange! (@ethannku)

Nico di Angelo never expected to become a god. Well, becoming a god isn't something one usually expects - especially if it was completely unintentional. And is it even a good thing at all?

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"Son," Hades says, with the most fondness that his voice ever gets, "there's some monsters blocking the DA entrance in LA. Can you take care of them?"

"Of course," Nico replies, and melts back into the shadows. His cane gets useful some days, but normally he's just doing more organizational skills, and his powers haven’t been affecting him all that negatively recently.

"Son," Hades says, with the most fondness that his voice ever gets, "there's some monsters blocking the DA entrance in LA. Can you take care of them?"

"Of course," Nico replies, and melts back into the shadows. His cane gets useful some days, but normally he's just doing more organizational skills, and his powers haven’t been affecting him all that negatively recently.

For whatever reason, Nico finds himself rather fond of the underworld. Even without the sun, it feels like a home. It feels more like home than anywhere else, he supposes. The underworld, at least, is somewhere that Nico has always belonged in. Not like camp, where he still feels like an outsider. Not in the cities, where it's too busy and feels wrong in time and place. Not in the suburbs, where the idle turning of the streets drives him insane. Not in the country, where the emptiness is often punctured by death.

But that does not mean that the warmth of the upper world is unwelcome; no, it is wonderful to feel the sun and touch the flowers. Nico's stepmother's spring reigns above, now - the flowers are bright and cheerful, and the snow of winter has all but completely melted.

He finds himself in the landmark he chose for LA - a set of buildings that is in no way remarkable. Easier to shadow-travel and hide away when there's not reason to look.

And from there Nico idly heads towards DA, checking to make sure the ambrosia squares are still in his pocket. The passers-by don't stop even to look at his ink-black sword. They're so different. It's completely foreign to him, the people who don't have to worry about one mistake meaning their death.

The years have passed him by, and they blur together now. It's been ten years, and it passes as ten years does - blurringly but at the same time achingly slow.

But he feels stronger these days, and it seems to make it okay, somehow. The shadow-traveling barely tires him out anymore, and everything feels fine. He can summon more skeletons; age has only increased his tolerance for all things deathly.

But on with the mission, Nico supposes.

The DA is as it usually is, but there appears to be four manticores. No matter how good Nico gets, he'll never be able to take on several manticores alone, so skeletons it is.

He takes a few seconds to analyze the situation. The DA swarms with souls, as usual, hesitant and creeping in the corners in light of the manticores. But Nico can't use them - for one, they're souls, ghosts, whatever you want to call them. Unable to work. For another, they're scared.

Skeletons are much easier. They don't have emotions - like fear and cowardice, which ultimately come from the same place, Nico supposes.

It's fine, though. LA is a city; it reeks of death in every corner. And there has to be at least a few cemeteries nearby. And, naturally, there is - the DA is situated near one, how convenient.

Nico summons some skeletons as backup.

"Would you mind moving out of the way?" he asks the manticores. Never hurts to be polite.

One of them lunges at him. Nico sidesteps.

"Well, not feeling very polite or talkative, are we? Shame."

The skeletons approach them and are supremely unsubtle. Sometimes Nico hates working with skeletons.

He summoned six skeletons, so two per manticore, plus a manticore that's all Nico's. He'll let the skeletons do their thing. This manticore is all his.

The manticore charges at Nico, growling on the way. Nico jumps up, backflipping in the process, and lands on the manticore's head.

Go time.

Monsters don't actually just explode, even if it's a killing shot, frustratingly enough. So Nico stabs it straight in its rather ugly head, jumping off as it roars in anger. He lands in front of the manticore, and slashes at its arm, cutting it off. Nico's figured by now that manticores die best when one of their arms is cut off and there's a hole in their head. Or rather, Nico-Percy-Annabeth-Hazel-Leo-Frank-Piper have figured it out.

So he refocuses his efforts and stabs the manticore in the heart - or where it would be. Nico's not entirely sure monsters have organs like humans and, presumably, gods do.

But he digresses. The Romans' stabbing is not all bad; although Nico is a Greek and prefers slashing, stabbing can show its use every once in a while. Case in point, now.

With that manticore dead, or, rather, exploded, Nico looks around. The skeletons are taking care of the remaining two manticores, so Nico gives them a (metaphorical) hand. One of them quite literally does not have a hand. Nico wonders if he pulled it off to beat the manticore with. Probably. Skeletons are brutal and rather single-minded.

And then, with a start, the adrenaline wears off and Nico realizes that his arm really hurts.

And sure enough he looks down and-

Oh.

Oh.

Because the blood he usually sees, the blood as red as any other human's, is gold. And the cut is closing as quickly as a Nico supposes gods heal.

He swipes at it. It's thick, thicker than blood, ichor-thick.

He shadow-travels away with a flash of darkness.

«»

Nico doesn't even think about where he travels, he just travels somewhere. It's a meadow in the middle of nowhere, nothing special, really. The flowers remind him of his stepmother.

The soft grass pads his knees as they sink to the ground, mostly from shock.

He's a god. He's a god. He's a god.

There's nothing else to say. How could there be?

He's a god.

Maybe he should've listened to Will.

("You need to stop!" Will hisses like he always does.

"Stop what?"

"You're hurting yourself. No more powers."

"They're my powers. I know my limits!"

"No. Doctor's orders."

"Go to Tartarus!"

"Doctor's orders," Will says, not even slightly emotional. He looks like he's dealing with a young child.

"No."

"Nico."

"No! Why won't you just understand! I'm perfectly fine!"

"If you keep losing your powers, you'll lose yourself," Will says, as ever a paragon of rationality.

"Maybe I'd rather lose my powers than stop."

"You're so self-sacrificing."

"It was one message. It's not going to hurt me!"

"Nico. I can't keep dating you if you keep doing this."

"Then don't."

For the first time, Will looks shocked at Nico's words. "What?"

"You heard me. I'm not stopping."

"Really? After all we've been through? You're breaking up with me?"

A surge of confidence. "Yes. We're over."

Before Will can get a word in edgewise, Nico shadow-travels away.)

Nico takes a deep breath. It's been ten years. Will was right, though - his powers are the end of him. Gods are gods. They are just as beautiful as they are terrible.

Nico had a lot of arguments with Will over his powers. It's been ten years since they broke up, but those ten years have diminished none of the shame that Will bestowed upon Nico's powers.

Should he have listened?

Nico hasn't dated anyone since he broke up with Will. It's never felt like the right time, for lack of a better word. Underworld duties, duties for everyone.

No. He's been much better since he dated Will. There's no place for regret.

But he's a god. And gods mean something else, too.

("I think being a god must be miserable," Reyna says. It's a lovely afternoon, the sun seeping golden light into the Garden of Bacchus, blue sky painted over with reds and oranges and yellows and blacks. It's frozen over in winter, and Nico knows that the Underworld is a reverse of this frigid cold. They're nineteen and twenty, it's been five years since they met, four since the last war, but nothing much ever changes.

Nico hums in response to Reyna's words.

"They can't change," she continues softly, "or really live. I think that dying and being a god must be close."

"Maybe," Nico says. "But I think it's easier to hope they can."

"They're cruel, the gods," Reyna replies. "Is that what it is to be a god? Is it to be cruel?"

Nico falls silent at that; he can bring up examples, but the gods stand by when cruelties happen. It is just as cruel to be a perpetuator as it is to be a bystander.

"I don't think I could stand immortality," Reyna finishes.)

Could Reyna stand him, stand a friend turned god?

There's nothing stopping him from being identical to every other god. Gods don't change, he knows, it rings in Nico's ears as steadily as the birds chirping in the distant background, as the shadows creeping towards him.

And gods mean things. Gods have things that humans don't - just like how Psyche has souls, Persephone has spring. What is Nico made of? What has become his heart instead of what used to be there, when he was more mortal than immortal?

He is deathless now; and that means things he can never stand. Reyna can't; he can't; no one can.

But some mortals do turn godly; it is not unobserved, after all.

Some turn it down. Like Percy.

That gives Nico an idea.

«»

He reappears on Percy’s fire escape-slash-balcony and knocks on the door. The great, twice-prophecy-hero Percy Jackson appears. He’s in his pajamas (at two o’clock in the afternoon) and nods at Nico, before leading him into the apartment’s kitchen silently.

"Really, Nico?" Percy asks. "Why is it always through the fire escape?"

Nico shrugs and grabs himself a blue cookie off of the plate in Percy's kitchen. “It’s more fun that way. A tradition, if you will.”

Percy rolls his eyes. “Sure. Now, why are you here? You only ever come if you need something.”

That’s a little rude. Even if it is true.

“And I’m not going on another ‘field trip’ to the local graveyard with you. Much less letting you use my blood again.”

“What? Ghosts love son-of-Poseidon blood!”

“Sure. Anyway, what’re you here for?”

Nico grabs a knife, Annabeth’s by its look (she usually has it on her – why not now?) and slices the back of his hand.

It bleeds gold.

“Oh,” Percy says, his eyes momentarily widening. “How’re you feeling?”

“Weird. Nothing’s changed.”

Percy laughs. “That’s with everything with the gods. You could change that, though.”

“I highly doubt-”

“Oh, please. Be our union representative. I’m retiring.”

Nico snorts. “Union representative?”

“Who got the gods to claim all their kids by thirteen? Me. I support the gods paying their child support, Nico.”

“Fair enough.”

Percy smiles. “Anyway, I think this is the second time you’ve truly surprised me.”

“What was the first?”

“When you said you had a crush on me! I thought you hated me!”

“I should’ve. I have terrible taste in men.”

“Hey!”

It feels good to laugh; laughter feels a lot like home.

“Anyway, need anything?”

“Another blue cookie.”

“Besides that?” Percy asks, handing Nico another cookie.

“Probably… I don’t know. Do you think gods can change?”

“Yes,” Percy says instantaneously. “Look at Apollo. Look at Athena. She’s okay-ish with me now!”

“Thanks,” Nico says. “Anyway, do you have any guesses to why I’m a god?”

“No, but from now on whenever anyone argues with me I’ll just say you’re a god. No one can disagree. I need you to do a well-timed signal too, though. I can’t wait to tell everyone. My cousin’s a god!”

Nico rolls his eyes. “I am not helping you with that.”

“It’d be funny.”

“Maybe once or twice,” Nico laughs. “Does this mean I’m your favourite cousin?”

“Hmm. Well, Hazel’s never tried to kill and/or doom me…”

“Of course.”

“I lied. I have no favourites. Except Thalia is my least favourite.”

Nico snorts. “Is it because she tried to strike you with lightning?”

“Yes.”

“Thirteen, no, fourteen years ago.”

“Yes.”

Nico nods. “That’s fair.”

Nico continues munching on the blue cookie, while Percy does the same.

“You know I’ll always think of you as my cousin, right?”

“Yes, of course I know.”

“Great. Because even godhood won’t be an escape from me.”

“Nevermind. Get out of my life.”

“Never. Anyway, are you staying here, or?”

“I’m going back to the underworld. Reporting for a mission, et al.”

Percy nods. “See you sometime?”

“See you sometime,” Nico promises, and fades back into the shadows.

«»

“Welcome back, son,” Hades says. “The mission was successful, I presume.”

“Yes, Father, it was.”

Hades gives a single nod, as to dismiss Nico.

“I believe I am a god now,” Nico tells him.

Hades gives another nod. “It appears people have begun to think of you as a god, and as thus you are. The effects will start to set in. Do not leave until you are in control of your godly form.”

“I see,” Nico lies. He, in fact, does not see. “I should take my leave now, Father.”

He leaves towards his rooms.

Nico di Angelo, god of something. It sounds odd, but it could work, maybe. He could change the gods.

He just has to make sure the gods don’t change him first.

[foxy-not-pirate]

My work for the 2023 PJO Gift Exchange is out now on ao3! My giftee was @drewtanakagf, I hope you enjoy!

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

@rrversesummerbang

[lordstormageddidnt]

There's Just One Little Thing that Stops Me Every Time

for @solange-lol as part of @rrversesummerbang's 2023 pjo gift exchange! Ship: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace Summary: When Will's friends insisted he ask Nico out to the winter dance, Will came up with the perfect plan: Nico isn't the type to go to school dances, especially not with Will, so Will would simply pretend he asked and that Nico said no. When Nico does, in fact, show up to the dance, Will's perfect plan is ruined-- but things turn out pretty well for him anyway. Word Count: 1,654

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“I thought you hated school dances.”

Nico turned around to face Will, looking vaguely deer-in-headlights with those brown eyes of his. Will’s palms were sweaty as they gripped the two red Solo cups full of lukewarm punch he'd just grabbed. Nico looked unfairly good in a suit and tie, and in the face of his crush, Will’s clip-on bowtie felt like a woeful mistake. 

In Will’s defense, Nico wasn’t supposed to be here to see his clip-on bowtie. There was a reason Will told his friends that he totally asked Nico out like they wanted him to, but Nico said he wasn’t going to go. Will’s friends would shut up about his crush in favor of giving him sympathetic looks for a few days, and Nico would be none the wiser about the torch Will had been carrying for him since freshman year. 

It was the perfect plan, and it had crumpled to ashes the moment Lou Ellen tugged at Will’s sleeve, pointed at the door, and said, you said Nico wasn’t coming, but he just walked in. I’m so sorry. 

Will had seen Nico, gulped, and resolved to get Nico alone before his friends could corner Nico for cruelly breaking Will’s heart. 

Now, Nico was leaning up against the brick wall exterior of the gym, arms crossed over his chest. He toed at the light dusting of snow that covered the football field with his sneaker. 

“Percy and Jason made me come,” Nico blurted out. “They practically had to kidnap me to get me to come here.”

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[ethannku]

tidal wave love

as a reminder, please PIRATE THE PERCY JACKSON SHOW to hold disney accountable for their financial support of israel

for @smithsparker as part of @rrversesummerbang's 2023 pjo gift exchange! word count: 2,667 author note: i promise it wasn't planned that we ended up getting each other haha. i hope you enjoy this because i certainly enjoyed writing it :D

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Jason is flat on his bed, drumming his fingers on his chest and wiggling his toes. He stares upwards, losing himself in the marble smoothness of the cabin’s ceiling. The cabin seems to be devoid of any warmth, the marble walls sucking in all the sunlight streaming in from the central oculus.

When Leo was discharged, Jason couldn’t look at him. All he could remember when seeing his best friend were images he never wants to see again. 

Leo saying he loved them. Leo throwing himself into the sky. Leo lying broken in an infirmary bed, almost his entire body covered in bandages, and cuts riddling his face.

So, now, he’s hiding in the Zeus cabin. Like a coward.

A gentle knock shakes him out of his thoughts. Jason doesn’t get up, only craning his head upwards to see who it is before falling back onto his pillow.

It’s only Piper.

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[rrversesummerbang]

CHECK YOUR DMS!!

GIFTEES HAVE BEEN SENT OUT so please check your dms on tumblr or discord! if you have not received your giftee OR if you do not think you can finish your gift by the 7th, LET ME KNOW ASAP!! i'm very excited to see what you guys have created :D