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court /kôrt/ (v.) - “be involved with romantically, typically with the intention of marrying.”
–
Nico wasn’t stupid. He saw the frequent glances, the faint blushes at compliments, the way the touches would linger. He liked to think himself semi-observant, especially in comparison to his cousins (gods, those two were dense). So, despite the lower-than-the-ninth-circle-of-hell self-esteem, he was pretty certain of the following:
- He had a stupidly large crush on one Will Solace.
- Will Solace had, at least, a little crush on him back.
He also knew that, of the two of them, Will would not be making any moves forward in their relationship. He was too overly anxious of making Nico uncomfortable and crossing boundaries, and therefore would rather suffocate in emotion than risk the possibility of him running (a rude, but fair, worry).
Now, Nico had been trying something new these past few weeks called ‘leaving his comfort zone’, and he was pretty confident in his observations. So, he decided to take it upon himself to ask Will out. The only question, now, was how?
All of his experience with romance involved pining after the same guy for years while hating himself for it, and watching his friends and sister find someone to love—basically, no experience at all. However, Nico did remember some bits and pieces of his past, and those bits and pieces did include watching boys court the girls they found pretty.
Will wasn’t a girl, but he was pretty, so the idea behind the actions would be the same, wouldn’t they?
So, as Nico set about his plan to court Will, he couldn’t help but chuckle at the irony of it all; he had always thought these memories were useless, and now they might just get him a boyfriend.
–
When Will woke up it was silent, which was never a good sign. Normally, waking up involved Kayla and Austin grumbling about something or another, or them hitting him with a pillow because “Gods, Will, just because you’re the oldest doesn’t mean you have to act like it.”
So silence wasn’t ever a good thing.
Sitting up, he did a preliminary search of the cabin to see if anything was broken; nope, everything was intact. However, he did see his siblings standing by the chest at the end of his bed that held all of Will’s clothes and personal items, looking at…something.
Swinging his legs around, he got up and rounded the bed to see what his siblings were staring at and was met with a singular buttercup and a card, which Kayla held in her hands, evidently reading. Huffing, Will put out his hand, eyebrow raised, and overall feeling like a single, tired mother.
He must have looked it, too, considering the twin snorts Austin and Kayla let out, before the card was placed in his hand. As he went to read it, Kayla said, “It was here when we woke up, isn’t signed or anything.”
She was right, the card wasn’t signed, but the handwriting was vaguely familiar and the words were sweet enough to make Will blush (not that it was a difficult accomplishment in the first place).
giving Buttercups (latin name ranunculus, for your nerdy tendencies) are a way to tell someone they are radiant with charm, which fits perfectly for you. they’re bright like your smile, as well.
Kayla pounced on him, literally, the second he flushed. “What does it mean, who is it from, do you know? You must know, you’re blushing!”
“Kayla!” Austin, yelled. For a split second, Will thought his brother was coming to his defense; rookie mistake, he should have known better. “I thought you had an idea as to who it was!”
The girl in question rolled her eyes and pulled her messy hair into an even messier bun. “Well, yeah, the handwriting reminds me of Nico’s, but I really don’t peg him as the romantic type.”
Hearing his suspicions said aloud by his sister only made Will’s flush worsen, and his heart speed up. He might have had a small crush on the son of Hades ever since he first saw him in battle. His siblings had gotten sick of his musings over Nico on multiple occasions, practically begging him to ask the other out. But Will knew he couldn’t; not for fear of rejection, but for fear of the boy leaving. And if the moody resident of Cabin 13 ran one more time, it would break him beyond repair.
Austin’s loud retort brought Will back to the conversation at hand. “The boy is literally from the 1930s, weren’t they all romantic then?”
“Wow, way to stereotype, Austin,” Kayla mocked. “The boy barely remembers the first 10 years of his life, you really think he remembers any romantic gestures?”
Kayla’s words made Will’s heart sink. She was right, Nico had little recollection of his past, and had been homeless for the past couple of years. There was no way this was him, no matter how dearly he wished it to be.
His face must have dropped, because his siblings were looking at him with concern. Plastering on a smile (a fake, but who cares?), Will went about his morning routine, daydreaming about a world where it was Nico who was seeking him out and Nico who was writing these sweet nothings for him.
–
His siblings were uncharacteristically cooperative this morning, which made Will think they felt guilty for crushing his, well, crush. He felt bad, knowing they didn’t mean to hurt him and were just thinking aloud, but he wasn’t going to look the peace and quiet in the mouth and refuse, so he pretended everything was fine and normal.
By the time they made it to breakfast (why did everyone think that just because, biologically, they wake with the sun that they’re morning people?), there was a small crowd gathering around the Apollo table. Will exchanged confused glances with Kayla and Austin, before sighing and walking over to see what the fuss was about.
Will saw another card, which someone had held in their hands before placing it back where they evidently found it, and a sprig of leaves with white pom-pom looking puffs on it. The crowd backed away as he approached, but didn’t leave, obviously hoping they would get answers. He picked the plant up and was instantly met with a familiar scent; eucalyptus. He used eucalyptus oil in the infirmary regularly for people with colds or allergies.
Reading the card proved to give no more answers than the first one, but it was in the same handwriting and made him blush once more.
Eucalyptus has no special latin name, but when given, symbolizes protection. this is my promise to protect you as you have me.
The crowd had started to dissipate, sensing Will didn’t have any more answers than they did, though he did catch a few curious glances from Aphrodite campers. Kayla snatched the card out of his hand, Austin looking over her shoulder, before giggling to herself. He raised an eyebrow at her, but she just shook her head and gave the card back before sitting down to start breakfast.
“You obviously have some secret admirer,” she spoke after a few minutes of silence, her mouth full. Will gave her a chastising glare, then sighing and looking back at the card for the tenth time in five minutes.
“Don’t speak with your mouth full, Kay.” She stuck her tongue out at Will. “Besides, that’s obvious, but you already shot down the one person I would reciprocate feelings for earlier.”
At this, Kayla looked a bit sheepish. “There’s no proof it isn’t Nico, though.” Will ignored her, trying to keep his spirits dampening from the forced hopefulness in her voice.
“Will, seriously, it does look a lot like his handwriting, and while Kay was right that it doesn’t seem like his kind of move, that doesn’t mean anything,” Austin tried, his voice calm and smooth. “Don’t give up hope, dude.”
He sighed, pushing his hair out of his eyes. Will knew his siblings meant well, but he couldn’t take anymore false hope this early in the morning. Standing, he scraped the rest of his food into the fire, before picking up the sprig and card. “I’m gonna drop this off in the cabin and get a head start on work in the infirmary.” Ignoring the apologetic looks his siblings were sending his way, Will trudged over to the camp common, wishing hope didn’t look like brown eyes, brown hair, pale skin, and a soft smile.
–
The universe had obviously taken pity on him, given the slow morning in the infirmary. Will managed to catch up on paperwork, and, after a small rumination, decided to organize the supply closet for the third time that week (so what if it was only Tuesday? What he did in his down time was his business, thank you).
Opening the closet door, he was met with a violet flower that resembled lavender, almost, with another card. A small smile made its way onto his face; just because they likely weren’t from the object of his affections didn’t mean Will couldn’t appreciate the sweet words. He took a moment to admire the flower before picking up the card.
the flower Monkshood, or aconitum, is representative of chivalry, and though i know we will argue over who gets to do what chivalrous ideals, i promise to always treat you with the respect and adoration you deserve.
Will’s small smile softened; gods, why couldn’t he just like this person instead of Nico? They were saying the kindest things, wonderful compliments he’s never been privy to.
He knew why he couldn’t, though. No one would ever compare to the son of Hades. The way he would complain all day long but still help out around the infirmary. The way he always had lunch with Will and walked with him to dinner. The way his eyes would shine like stars when talking about anything he was passionate over. Gods, and he was the perfect size to hug and hold and cuddle, too; shorter than him, but only by a few inches, allowing Will to rest his chin on his head.
Sighing, Will left the closet, resolving to organize it some other time, and instead daydream at his desk.
–
Caught up in images of holding pale hands and kissing pink lips, Will failed to notice someone enter the infirmary until the hands he was just dreaming over gently slapped his arm. Startling, he glared at a chuckling Nico di Angelo. “What,” he snapped, though it lacked any real heat.
Nico just raised an eyebrow, unphased. “Lunchtime, Sunshine.” His eyes flicked down to the monkshood bloom laying on the desk next to Will, something flashing in those pretty eyes. If he didn’t know any better, it almost looked like amusement, but there was nothing to be amused over, not really.
“Whatcha got there? A flower?”
Will huffed, smiling a small thing, before handing the flower and note to Nico to read. “They’ve been showing up everywhere all day. That’s my third one since I woke up.”
Nico looked unimpressed, which only squashed his heart further; of course he was unimpressed, why would he like anything floral or romantic? Didn’t his step-mother once turn him into a flower? “Do you know who they’re from?”
He ducked his head, unwilling to give away any of his daydreams of it being Nico who gave him pretty flowers and even prettier words; shaking his head, his blond hair obscured his vision and therefore Nico’s reaction.
Will twisted his back, a crack reverberating up his spine in a satisfying sound, then stood and rounded the desk. Not waiting for a response, he headed towards the door, talking over his shoulder, “D’you mind if we stop by my cabin? I want to drop the flower and note off there, then we can eat lunch.”
He inferred, more than saw or heard, that Nico shrugged, before a quick, “Sure, Sunshine,” was uttered. They walked side-by-side as Will listened to the son of Hades ramble about his training and classes earlier that morning.
Nico had just gotten to the climax of how some new Hermes kid got his ass handed to him after muttering some unkind words, when Will opened the door and saw a bundle of green on his pillow. He didn’t notice the other stop talking, or the smirk that quickly flitted over the face; he walked over, as though in a trance, and picked up the…vine?
though this may be an annoying weed that never leaves, Ivy (hedera is the fancy name) means attachment. this is my way of saying i won’t leave you, that i will be yours for as long as you will have me.
“What’s with the weird capitalization, do you think?”
Nico’s smooth voice startled him, a quiet yelp escaping before he glared at the shorter boy. Will was met with a stuck-out tongue (how mature), and then he actually processed the question, staring back down at the card.
“I just figured it was for the flower names?” Will guessed, shrugging, before grabbing the other two cards from the top of his trunk, the buttercup and eucalyptus resting beside them. “See? It’s only ever been the flower name capitalized.”
Nico gently took the cards from his hands, fingers whispering against each other in a shout that reverberated around Will’s head. He watched Nico study the cards, but his mind was elsewhere, fixating on the short brush of skin-on-skin, warm against cold, tan against pale.
Will was brought out of his musings by Nico’s hand for the second time in ten minutes, watching as the boy arranged the cards and pointed at each capitalized letter. “Maybe they’re spelling something out? B-E-M-I. It could be ‘Be Mine’ or something gross like that.”
How much battering could one heart take? It had been sunk, deflated, squashed, and shattered, just now. Hearing his crush of almost two years call the idea of someone asking Will to be theirs through flowers and capitalization ‘gross’ was almost too much.
He couldn’t control the slight drop on his face, which Nico obviously picked up on, if the concern swimming through the eyes Will loved to stare at was any idea. He opened his mouth, hesitating, before placing the cards on top of the trunk next to the four florals that were the indirect cause of heartbreak.
“Did I say something?” Nico’s voice was soft, quiet, and it made Will ache. He forces a soft smile that he knows doesn’t reach his eyes, but comforting the boy in front of him was all he could think of.
“Nah, don’t worry ‘bout it.” That looked to be the last thing Nico wanted to do, but he dropped it, seeming to sense Will was not going to budge on this.
–
Lunch was a normal affair. No new flowers, no sweet notes, nothing out of the ordinary. Sure, Will had to ignore the pitying looks from his siblings. Yes, Nico kept glancing at him in confusion. But he ate his meal and avoided incriminating conversations, so it was a success in his mind.
As was routine, Nico came back to the infirmary with him. He would help out if they were busy, or keep Will company when they were slow.
All of Will’s luck seemed to have run out after that morning, because there was a constant stream of campers for a solid few hours. He was running back and forth, distributing ambrosia, bandaging wounds, and singing hymns. Nico was his little shadow, fittingly; cleaning beds, trashing scraps, filling out basic information for paperwork.
There was little time for small-talk, which he was thankful for. Nico had gotten a lot better about emotional vulnerability (with him, at least) over the past handful of months, and was no longer afraid to ask why something he said caused someone to react a certain way. Will couldn’t very well explain that the younger boy had broken his heart by making fun of someone romantically asking him out and therefore confirming it wasn’t Nico, now could he?
Half-an-hour before the dinner horn was blown was when the infirmary slowed down. Will slumped in his seat, taking a second to breathe and recollect himself. He felt the cautious eyes on him, felt the concern radiating off his friend, but he did what he was best at and ignored it.
Opening his eyes, Will headed over to his desk to start the paperwork, knowing Kayla and Austin wouldn’t touch it and preferring to get a head start. That’s when he saw it.
A small, blue flower, sitting innocently upon the desk, with a slightly larger note beside it. Of course his secret admirer came into the infirmary; who hadn’t, really?
Turning the card over, he read:
Nemophila, or baby blue eyes in the common tongue, is famous in japan; there, it symbolizes many things, but the most notable to me was healing. i found this fitting, given how they remind me of your eyes.
“They aren’t wrong.”
Will didn’t jump. He didn’t. He knew Nico was there the whole time, knew he had snuck up behind him while lost in thought, and the smirk the son of Hades sent his way didn’t mean anything.
“What are you talking about?” He asked, not allowing time for the other to poke fun at him.
Nico rolled his eyes. Arms crossed, a disappointed look fixed upon Will. “You know how to read, right?”
Unamused, Will sighed. “Yes, dumbass. What did you mean ‘they aren’t wrong’?”
As they did earlier, those wonderful eyes flashed with an unidentifiable emotion. “Your eyes are practically that color.”
A small flush crossed his face. He knows my eye color as more than just blue?
A second too late, he muttered a quiet, “Whatever,” before packing up and leaving early for dinner.
–
The fifth bloom joined with the others, Will trudged his way over to dinner, lost in thought.
Maybe it would be easier to let Nico go, to accept what this other person is saying to him. Obviously this crush of two years wasn’t going anywhere, no matter how much he dreamed otherwise.
Will knew it was a lost cause, though. He would die before losing feelings for the shorter boy. He was simply too…good. Sure, at first glance Nico doesn’t seem like a kind soul, but his hard-exterior is but a shell for him to hide behind when things are overwhelming. He listens, gives solid advice, never makes someone feel lesser for not understanding right away. He’s a wonderful older brother, and always makes time for the younger kids; he never snaps at them, or tell them to get lost, almost like he’s reminiscing who he used to be before everything.
How could Will give up on a guy like that?
So here he was, walking to dinner, praying the crowd around the Apollo table was because Austin was showing off a new musical scale, or Kayla demonstrating a trick with her bow.
When he saw the white bloom, he deflated. Sinking into his seat, into himself, into his own shell. His own exterior that, instead of cold, was warm. Warm in the way that people couldn’t help but be drawn to, yet warm enough that they would leave after some time before risking heat stroke.
No one would worry if he was sunshiney, because that’s what he’s always been.
Will glanced at the note, skimming it quickly, before turning his attention to his siblings and Nico. A few people asked about the flower, but he just gave a charming smile that would make mothers coo and grandmothers pinch his cheeks, and they would walk away shrugging.
Edelweiss (leontopodium) are found high in the Alps, a dangerous climb, so giving them to your lover is thought to be a great show of courage and devotion. this flower is my way of saying i will do my best to be courageous and go outside of my comfort zone for you, as well as completely and utterly devote myself to you.
–
By the time campfire rolled around, Will was tired. He was sick of his heart being broken into microscopic pieces, though he logically knew it was his own fault. Gods, what he wouldn’t give to be allowed to lay in bed alone. However, even though it was an open-mic night, Apollo cabin was expected to lead. And despite his lack of godly musical talent, and the fact that Austin always led sing-a-longs, Will, as head counselor, was expected to be there. So, to campfire he went.
Tonight was one of the rare occasions Nico attended campfire, which made everything both easier and harder simultaneously. Will tried to pay attention to the other campers, tried to watch the tricks and pranks, tried to listen to the poems and songs, but his focus was on the dark-haired beauty next to him and how, once ground into a fine powder, the heartbreak really didn’t hurt that bad.
Nico looked over at him, eyebrows raised and making a face. Luckily, he turned before the light blush that covered Will’s face could be seen; he decided to fully try and focus on open-mic, lest he embarrass himself further.
A couple of Ares campers were showing off different gymnastic-esque moves, which made Will both chuckle and wince, already anticipating the complaints of sore and pulled muscles in the morning. As he did the mental math for how much ibuprofen he would have to hand out and pre-formed arguments as to why nectar and ambrosia weren’t necessary, Austin’s voice cut through the fog, grabbing his attention.
“So, I know I have dyslexia and that we tend to write in English ‘cause of habit, but I might be reading this wrong?” Austin’s confusion was obvious in the way his eyebrows scrunched and voice pitched. Will watched as he glanced over to where Chiron sat, continuing on. “Anyways, next is, apparently, Nico di Angelo. It doesn’t say what he’s doing, though, so this could be a prank. If so, sorry, bro.”
Nico chuckled at Austin’s apology and subsequent wince, standing and heading over. The amphitheater was silent as he made his way down, allowing for his words to echo. “You read that right, no worries.”
Shock overtook the confusion and worry on Austin’s face, before he broke into a grin and handed the mic over to Nico. Looking around, Will could see no one else seemed to know what was happening, not even Chiron.
“Alright. Um, hi. For the new campers, I don’t tend to talk in front of groups of people that exceed the number, like, seven, so that’s why everyone is so shocked and confused.” Nico chuckled softly, scuffing his boot along the ground as some of the older campers laughed loudly, knowing how true that was, Will one of the loudest. “Now, I do have to start with an apology, because this really isn’t an entertainment or act or performance. But, I didn’t really know how else to do this, and I did kind of make a promise, so here I am.”
At this, Nico took a deep breath, before turning and making direct eye contact with him. Will felt his breath catch, unable to escape the clutch that shade of brown had on him.
“Will, you’ve been receiving flowers and notes and crap all day, right?”
Hope began to flutter at the bottom of his stomach, escaping the entrapments, building and climbing and inflating until he was sure he was floating above his seat. Unable to find words, Will nodded, dumbfounded.
Taking another breath, Nico stepped from the small stage and walked over in front of where Will was sitting, face covered in a beautiful pink blush. Kneeling, he stuck his hand into the shadows and pulled it back with two flowers clasped in his fingers.
Gasps rung through the amphitheater. Will’s face erupted; he was certain he was redder than a tomato. He slowly pinched himself to make sure he was awake and hadn’t been lulled to sleep by the comforting ambiance of the campfire. Nico stayed kneeled in front of him, which certainly wasn’t helping, but Will was awake, if the small flare of pain in his arm was any indication.
Laying one of the flowers on the grass in front of their feet, the second was passed to Will, a white and purple blossom he found pretty solely because it came from Nico. “This is a Sweet William. Dianthus barbatus, if you were still curious about the Latin names.”
Nico huffed, staring down at his feet, continuing. “They represent gallantry, which is the polite attention and respect given from a man to his lover. I also, um,” he coughed, face flushed an alluring red, “I also find it fitting since you’re incredibly sweet, William.”
Coos could be heard ringing from around them, but Will only had eyes and ears for the boy on his knees in front of him. Gods, none of his daydreams had come close to this perfect image. He barely registered Nico grabbing the second flower, only noticing it once placed in his hand.
“Tulips, or tulipa, are a declaration of feelings. I chose a red tulip, particularly, because those specifically are a plea for the receiver to believe the sender, to trust that what they’re saying and feeling is true.”
Nico took a moment to steel himself, setting his shoulders and burning through the blond with wonderful eye contact. A cool hand wrapped itself around the one Will was using to grasp the flowers, a beautiful contrast and familiar comfort that grounded him in the moment.
“I’m not sure what I said earlier, when I mentioned how the capitalization in the notes could be spelling out a question, to make you upset, but I hope it doesn’t impact your answer too much. I’m at least, like, 70% sure you like me back, so, I guess what I want to know is if you’ll be mine, Sunshine?”
A beat, a breath, a pause. Will felt his heart stop, stutter, and start back up again, before his brain rebooted and he beamed. He had yet to catch his breath or find his vocal cords from the moment Nico first locked eyes with him up on the stage, so he just nodded quickly, grabbing the other’s face and pulling him into a chaste kiss.
A dull roar was background noise to him, focus enraptured by the wide grin on Nico’s face, his eyes lit up in a way Will had only seen during Mythomagic rants and casual spars. He watched as the other stood, walking to hand the mic to Austin, then coming back and sitting closer than before.
Suddenly, Will felt himself tearing up. He tried to sniffle quietly, but Nico’s focus was solely on him, and caught it immediately. A cold palm met his cheek, thumbs gently rubbing tears away.
“ Tesoro, what’s wrong?” Nico’s voice was filled with unfiltered concern and care, and all it did was make Will cry harder. He leaned his forehead against the younger’s, noses brushing in his search for physical comfort.
“‘M just so happy,” he eventually murmured. “Was so sad earlier ‘cause I didn’t think it was you.”
Mouth open to respond, Nico pulled him closer, before a voice demanded their attention, cutting him off. “Damn, Nico. I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see Kayla wrong; you really are a closeted romantic, huh?”
Eyebrow raised, and head cocked, Nico responded with an eloquent, “Huh?”
The amphitheater was, for the second time that night, dead silent.
“Nico, that was something Aphrodite would come up with in her dreams, dude.” Someone called.
If anything, Nico appeared more confused. “I don’t understand. How is giving someone flowers throughout the day to court them romantic?”
Will giggled wetly, bringing Nico’s attention to him once more. “Angel, things have changed since the ‘30s.”
He was cut off by a snort, before, “Well, duh. If I did this when I was a kid I would have been burned alive.”
Nico’s eyes widened, obviously realizing that wasn’t the most comforting thing to say in front of a bunch of younger kids. He smiled sheepishly, muttering a soft apology. Will simply rolled his eyes, poking the boy in the side. “You cut me off, smartass. Most people nowadays just ask someone on a date. Courting is now considered incredibly old-fashioned and romantic.”
The son of Hades scoffed, giving a stink eye to the crowd. “So you’re all calling me romantic for giving someone I like flowers and sweet words, something I know he’ll like?” At the silence that was his response, he rolled his eyes. “Gods, you all are hopeless.”
Giggles sounded from around the amphitheater, mostly from the Aphrodite cabin, it seemed. Quite a few people, most that Will knew for a fact were in relationships, were blushing and sheepishly looking at their hands.
Will just gazed at Nico, feeling so warm and wanted. When their eyes met, no matter how cliche it sounded, everything faded away. His tears had finally dried, but he was still sniffling. His eyes were itchy from crying, and his clothes were definitely wrinkled and dirty from the infirmary.
Will had never been more content in his life.