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loisinherlane · 7 years

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Title: Types of Love

Summary: Nico lowered his eyes to his bedspread, suddenly acutely aware that he hadn’t replaced his Mythomagic comforter when he’d moved out of his dad’s house. He’d been too lazy to buy another, especially since his was still perfectly good. His soulmates usually thought it was kind of funny. His romantic partners, if they ever made it inside of Nico’s bedroom, knew Nico was a nerd and expected no less. At this moment, Nico wished he had something a little nicer. His cheeks grew red, stomach fluttering in that pleasant way only Will could give him, and for a moment, he considered the idea that Will might return his feelings. But he should have known better. They were soulmates. Will just got up and left.//In a world where romance means less than friendships, Nico falls in love with his platonic soulmate Will Solace and complicates his whole life.

Notes: This is an incredibly self-indulgent, complicated universe that probably has a ton of plot holes. Don’t think about it too hard. If you really have a question, feel free to ask, but I’ll probably be pulling the answer out of my ass. Anyway, to summarize the universe: Everyone has four platonic soulmates. Soulmate marks appear on the first place where soulmates touch. Because of platonic soulmates, in this universe, platonic love is valued over romantic love, meaning that “more than lovers” is probably a more likely phrase than “more than friends.” Romantic love isn’t uncommon. People go through two or three long-term relationships or marriages in their life, usually. Some people marry a soulmate and raise children together, thus creating a romanceless marriage. The nuclear family unit is very uncommon. The End.

Another minor note is that to clean up family ties, I made Persephone Hazel’s biological mother.Sorry about any grammatical or spelling errors. I've done as much editing as I can stand alone, but both of my normal betas were busy with NaNoWriMo (as was I), so it's not been looked as extensively as most of my work. Expect updates on December 14th, January 1st, and January 24th.

Saturday, November 11th, 2017

Nico would be the first to admit he’d never had much control of his mouth. His soulmates would be the second, third, fourth, and fifth, and they’d fight over who said it first, as it was kind of obvious. He was a bit of an asshole sometimes, mainly because he didn’t think before he spoke. It had always gotten him into trouble. Usually of the “has no respect for authority” kind.

“I’m in love with you.”

Nico may have been the first in the world to ever get into trouble for telling his soulmate he loved him.

Okay, sure, in love is different than love. In love was romantic, a relationship of one’s own creation and not the predestined, pure love between soulmates. And, sure, there were a ton of people in the world who thought romantic relationships were inherently lesser than platonic relationships. So maybe Nico definitely should have known better than to confess his non-platonic feelings, but to be fair, Nico hadn’t intended it. Will had just beaten him at Mario Kart, and his stupid face was stupidly attractive--summer always lingered in his skin, leaving him bright, freckles all across his face and down his neck, and his hair had some lighter streaks, and he was smiling . It was disgusting, and frankly, who could blame Nico for being in love with someone like that?

“What?”

Maybe Nico should have prefaced that with something. Maybe he could have added that it didn’t change the fact that Will was his soulmate , and Nico never, ever wanted to give that up. Will was and would always be as important as Hazel, Reyna, and Jason, and just because he was in love with Will didn’t mean he didn’t lovehim.

Nico wasn’t exactly good with people. His soulmates had always come naturally to him. Romantic relationships . . . well, Will had always helped him traverse those, and Will couldn’t tell him what to say right then. Either shocked that he’d had the courage to say anything, or maybe just reeling from the way Will’s face crumpled, how devastated he looked, Nico said nothing. He stared blankly as Will dropped the Gamecube controller on Nico’s bed. Will looked at Nico, waiting for some sign that he was joking or something. Nico lowered his eyes to his bedspread, suddenly acutely aware that he hadn’t replaced his Mythomagic comforter when he’d moved out of his dad’s house. He’d been too lazy to buy another, especially since his was still perfectly good. His soulmates usually thought it was kind of funny. His romantic partners, if they ever made it inside of Nico’s bedroom, knew Nico was a nerd and expected no less. At this moment, Nico wished he had something a little nicer. His cheeks grew red, stomach fluttering in that pleasant way only Will could give him, and for a moment, he considered the idea that Will might return his feelings.

But he should have known better. They were soulmates. Will just got up and left.

That in and of itself wasn’t unusual for Nico’s experience with romance. But for a soulmate? It really sucked. And it sucked even more than this time Nico couldn’t turn to Will.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Of his four soulmates, Nico had taken the longest to click with Will.

Hazel was Nico’s baby sister. Growing up side by side, their soulmateship was easy to develop, from the time Nico allowed her to do his hair to the time Hazel punched the boy who stole Nico’s Mythomagic cards on the playground. Though they had sibling spats, they were impossibly close, and Nico knew he wouldn’t trade their relationship for a thing in the world. Reyna was the next Nico met, at fourteen in the hallway on his first day of high school. Reyna was the sophomore student president, and being busy with the duties that entailed, she was late to class. Nico just overslept. They bumped into each other when Nico decided he could totally walk down the halls with his eyes closed, since it was just a square, and for some reason, they’d stuck together since. Jason and Nico joined up as long-suffering partners in their junior biology class. Nico had steady relationships with three out of four soulmates by eighteen, and he knew he was lucky in that respect. He’d seen how it took time for his soulmates’ soulmateships to settle in.

When he met Will at nineteen, he’d kind of expected it to go the same way. Well, not kind of. He had. Where his other soulmates accepted Nico’s idiosyncrasies and unsociability, Will didn’t. Will had always been special like that.

They met on campus, late afternoon as Nico was walking to his car after class and Will was playing Ultimate Frisbee on one of the fields. Nico had just enough time to look over and think, “Damn, that guy is hot,” before the frisbee smacked into the side of his head.

This, of course, meant that Will, as the only nursing student of the bunch, though he'd hardly taken any medically inclined classes yet, was elected to check out the innocent bystander and make sure their game hadn't ended in manslaughter.

“Shit, shit, shit, sorry, shit,” was all Nico heard as he sat up. When had he landed on the ground? He reached for his head where a lump was already forming, and, ow, that was tender. Nico exhaled slowly and opened his eyes. Oh. The hot guy was right there.

“Do you know your name?” the guy asked. Nico eyed the freckles trailing over his bare arms, brown skin glowing in the afternoon sun. Suddenly, those arms shifted, a hand grabbing onto the back of his neck. “Oh, no, oh, shit, okay. What’s today’s date? Can you speak? Are you alive?”

“Uh, I’m breathing,” said Nico.

The guy exhaled. “Oh, thank god. Okay. I think I need to talk you to the campus clinic. You got smacked pretty darn hard. Left a goose egg. And I’m doing so hot on the concussion check myself.” He reached to touch the bump on Nico’s head lightly. Nico groaned.

“I have to get home,” he said.

Hot-Freckles stared. “You are not driving home without a concussion check.”

“My sister’s waiting,” Nico protested.

“And she’ll be waiting in a hospital if you have a concussion and get behind the wheel,” Hot-Freckles said. “I like to think I’m pretty easy-going, but I’m not letting up on this one. You’re coming with me.” He grabbed Nico by the shoulder and yanked him without concern for if that would injure him further. The motion shook Nico’s head, and he groaned again, stumbling into Hot-Freckles’ side.

Some of the other players came running down the hill. “What’s going on, Will?”

Hot-Freckles--Will--said, “I think he has a concussion. I’m going to take him to the clinic. Y’all can keep playing, but try not to hit anyone else.”

“I need to go home,” Nico said. The players exchanged a look.

“Yeah. I think you need to take him. See you.”

It seemed like no time at all until they arrived at the campus clinic. If Nico filled out any paperwork, he didn’t remember it. Mainly, he was leaning up against the hot freckled guy, grabbing onto his arms and chest to brace himself. Yes, to brace himself. Not to feel him up or anything.

“So what happened to Mr. di Angelo today?” the nurse asked. She addressed Will, probably because Nico was wavering even as he sat on the bed in the exam room. Will reached to steady him.

“I was playing Ultimate Frisbee with my friends, and we kind of-- Well, the frisbee smacked him upside the head,” he said. He had a Southern twang to his voice, kind of like Hazel did, but different. Nico really liked it.

The nurse raised her perfect brows. “Mm. Likely a concussion, then. Let’s see.” She moved to Nico’s side and paused. “That’s an interesting spot for a soulmate mark.”

Nico stopped. “Wuh?”

“The soulmate mark. On your neck,” she said. Nico paused. He had Hazel’s mark on his finger, where she’d grabbed it in the hospital as a baby. Reyna’s was on his chest. Jason’s was on his back. He didn’t have one on his neck.

Will leaned over, and his blue eyes grew wide. “Oh. Well, allbedamned.” He lifted his hand and admired the Niccolò Lorenzo di Angelo across the side of his palm. He kindly held it out for Nico to see. Nico kindly leaned over and puked across his shirt.

The rest was kind of a blur. Will was given a shirt to change into, from one of the other nurses. Nico vaguely remembered Will asking a lot of questions, as he was studying to be a nurse and this was right up his alley. After some tests, the nurse agreed it was probably a concussion, and with some instructions for rest, Nico was sent home.

“Do you need a ride? I live on campus, but I have a car,” Will said as they walked out of the clinic.

“You’re being pretty nice to a guy who just puked on you,” Nico said, still holding his head.

Will gave a crooked grin. “Well, we are soulmates, apparently. Though I got to say, I hope you don’t puke on your soulmates all that often.”

“Only Hazel. And she’s my sister,” Nico joked. Will smiled and helped Nico call her for a ride home, adding his number in there as well.

Maybe it meant something that Nico was checking Will out before he’d learned they were soulmates. As soon as he knew, he packed up any attraction and tucked it away in a box never to be opened. Nico moved on to other guys, and Will became a normal part of his life as his soulmate, completely platonic.

Thursday, November 23rd, 2017

In spite of Nico’s failure to get in touch with Will over the course of the week, he wasn't planning to miss out on Thanksgiving. Their little bunch (consisting of Hazel, Reyna, Jason, Piper, Leo, Will, Lou Ellen, and Cecil) always had their Thanksgiving meal in the bowling alley Cecil’s family owned, a tradition started in college when none of them could afford to fly home for Thanksgiving break, and Nico and Hazel’s parents decided Thanksgiving was the best time for their anniversary cruise. It had a strange vibe, being empty save for them, and having an entire meal spread between all of the tables at the lanes made it even stranger. They were exactly the right people to enjoy this sort of thing.

The issue was that this was Cecil’s family’s bowling alley, and Cecil was Will’s soulmate. Nico was sure if Will didn't want him there, Cecil would uninvite him. But then again, most of the others going we're only known through Nico--Hazel and Lou were soulmates as well, but--

No one had said anything. Nico had to assume he was still welcome.

“Did you remember the sweet potatoes?” Hazel asked from the kitchen of their townhouse. She had a pile of dishes in her arms, and her golden hair bounced every time she turned her hair, landing lightly on her red scarf.

“Uh, you're carrying them,” Nico said, gathering up his own stack.

Hazel peered down. “Oh. Shouldn't you put on a coat?” she asked, glancing over her brother, dressed only in a black sweatshirt and jeans.

“We're just loading the car,” he said.

“But you complain if it's less than 60 degrees. Last year, you tried to make Will carry you around to keep you warm.”

Nico tended at the mention of Will but tried to play it off as adjusting his pile. “Will’s from Texas. He's always cold. Sharing body heat is kindness,” he replied.

Hazel snorted. “You're from Italy. And we grew up in New Orleans. Besides, Will’s not as whiny as you are when it comes to the cold.”

Nico stuck out his tongue and raced to the door, turning the handle with his knee. Hazel was right. The cool air of New England in November was more than he wanted to handle, not that he would admit it. Still, she seemed to know, staring at him as they placed the dishes on the back floorboard.

“Go get your coat and grab the keys,” she ordered, leaning up against Nico’s car.

Nico was suddenly aware of how he'd crossed his arms over his chest, and he clamped them to his side. “I'm only getting it in case Will gets cold and wants to borrow it,” he lied.

“Sure,” Hazel said.

Will would have no need to borrow his coat. Inside the bowling alley, it was a toasty 75, a much needed change from last year.

“Is this warm enough for you, Nico?” Cecil called from behind the counter when he walked.

“Is this warm enough for Will?” he asked automatically. Will, standing next to Cecil, was suddenly very interested in examining the bowling shoes, which was weird, because most years he complained about how unsanitary sharing shoes with so many was until Lou or Cecil told him to shut up and buy his own. Cecil, thankfully, didn't notice, and returned to flipping on all the lights.

“Ah! It burns!” Lou Ellen cried as she ducked underneath a table, abandoning her Addams family-style tablecloth half-rolled.

Hazel giggled and pushed a curl out of her face. “Are Jason and them not here yet?” she asked.

“Nah,” Cecil said. “Go ahead and spread the food on the concessions stand. We installed a heated counter, so I'm hoping it will be useful.”

“Leo was tinkering again,” Lou Ellen explained.

Nico nodded, eyes still locked on Will, still determined not to look at him. He sighed and helped Hazel set up the food.

Lou Ellen slid out from under the table and pulled Hazel into a hug. “Mm. Smells delicious. That's why you two are always on cooking duty,” she said brightly.

“Nico just hates to clean,” Hazel said. Those two seemed prepared to dive into conversation, which was the perfect opportunity for Nico to make his way back towards Will. If he could just--

“What's up, buttercups, I brought blacklights!”

Valdez .

Jason, Leo, and Piper walked into the alley cheerfully, carrying some boxes full of god-knows-what, with Valdez running the show.

“Hey, Nico!” Piper said brightly, plopping her vegan cake down. Sloppy frosting letters spelled, “Fuck the Pilgrims, Native American Appreciation Day.” She paused and placed her hand flat on the counter. “Is this--?”

“Leo.”

“Ah.” Piper moved the cake to an aisle table instead. “So Jason told me you got a promotion.”

“Um--”

“Congratulations,” she said brightly, and curse Jason for getting an incredibly nice girlfriend that Nico actually respected so he couldn't run off in the middle of a conversation. Where was Will now? Cecil was still by the counter, but he-- “--though I don't get your desire to spend more time around dead bodies.”

“Ha. Yeah,” Nico said.

Piper furrowed her brow. “Hey--”

“Pipes! Can you help me with this?”

Piper turned to her boyfriend. “Oh. Yeah, just a sec.”

Then she was gone. Great. Nico was free. Now to find Will.

“Nico.”

Ugh .

“Hi, Reyna,” Nico said, very careful to ensure his tone was even. Reyna could pick up on the slightest issue, and he could not risk acting any out of the ordinary around. She was dressed nicely, hair pulled back into a bun, a button-up, lipstick, the whole nines. She still looked like she could murder ten men in fifteen seconds. “You look nice. What did you bring?”

“The knife,” she said coolly, reaching into her purse. “Cecil texted me and said they broke their turkey-carving knife, so--”

“How?”

“No clue.” Reyna tucked it back into a hidden pocket, probably with her other secret weapons. “Oh, and I made coconut pudding.”

“Yum,” Nico said.

Reyna nodded. Then, a pause, and she turned to look at him, the green flecks in her eyes suddenly piercing. “Are you--?”

“Hey, everyone’s here? Let’s eat!” Cecil yelled, tossing the piles of bowling shoes to the side.

“Please, wash your hands,” came Will’s voice from somewhere in the chaos. Nico craned his head frantically. It was no use. Everyone crowded around the table, filling their plates, and suddenly they were down at the lanes, same as ever. Reyna, Hazel, and Nico sat at one table, next to them, Jason, Leo, and Piper, and then at the other end, Cecil, Lou Ellen, and Will. Damn it. Why did they always set up like this?

“We’re not going to bowl while we eat again, are we?” Jason asked. Nico heard Will say something, but he couldn’t decipher what it was. Jason turned around from his table to face him. Why could Jason talk to Will when Nico couldn’t?

“So how’s work, Reyna?” Hazel asked brightly from her seat beside Nico. On the other side of the table, Reyna perked up.

“I’m teaching a new class. You should come. It’s great for the core, and--”

There was Will, up to get dessert. Perfect. Nico slid out of his seat.

“Hey, mister, you eat your meal before dessert!” Hazel scolded, a grin spreading across her lips. Nico looked to her, then his plate.

“I dropped my fork,” he said as he grabbed his fork from his plate and threw it to the ground. Hazel and Reyna looked in disbelief. He took that opportunity to sidle over to the counter.

“Will.”

Will glanced up from the plate of panna cotta he’d just grabbed. Nico couldn’t help but smile. Will loved panna cotta. That was why Nico made it every year.

“It has berries on top. It’s healthy,” he defended, as if that’s what Nico had come over to discuss.

“I’m not the one who gives the health lectures,” he said.

Will looked him over. “No kidding. Have you been sleeping?”

Not well, Nico thought. He was sure the bags under his eyes from college had returned full-force. It was a wonder no one else had commented on it, but Nico did go through spells of insomnia. Will was the one who noticed when it got really bad. “If by sleep, you mean laying in bed, uh, no.”

The words hung between them, half-natural banter and half-pure discomfort.

Will pressed his lips together and lowered his eyes, blond lashes gleaming against his brown skin.

“Will,” Nico said, breathy, loving, in love.

“Oh, no. I dropped my fork,” Will said and dropped his fork. He walked off to get another.

Thursday, November 25, 2012

“Nico! We’re Skyping Mom and Dad! Get in here!” Hazel yelled. She was curled up in the computer chair, knees in fuzzy pajama pants up to her chest, socks sliding across the leather seat. At only 8:30, it was pretty early for bed, but Thanksgiving was a tiring affair, especially when it dissolved into a bowling tournament halfway through.

Nico made a gurgling sound that roughly translated to, “I’m coming!”

“He’s brushing his teeth,” Hazel told their parents.

“Of course he is. He knew we were going to call,” Persephone di Angelo-Levesque sighed. Her hair was adorned with a variety of small flowers woven into her braid, and she was picking them out and tossing them at her husband, waiting for some sort of reaction. Hades made no move.

Hazel smiled. “He said he has to get the taste of Will’s cookies out of his mouth. Will said it was his grandma’s recipe, but . . . . Well, as Nico said, they tasted like he dug them out of the garbage.”

Nico stuck his head out of the bathroom and made another unintelligible sound, probably defending his soulmate (even though the cookies were truly disgusting), toothbrush sticking out of his mouth.

“Go away. You’re foaming at the mouth,” Hazel said.

Nico rolled his eyes. On the screen, Persephone smiled at her daughter. “Are you sure you’re the little sister?”

A few moments later, Nico came out of the bathroom and pulled up another chair, leaning close to Hazel to see. “What couldn’t wait until morning?” he asked.

Hades stared. “Since when are you awake in the morning?”

Hazel laughed.

“Shut up,” said Nico, ears burning red.

“Settle down,” Persephone said, staring down at her stepson. “We didn’t call you to argue.”

“Darn. That’s what I put in my planner,” Hazel sighed, snapping her fingers.

Persephone frowned. “You’re spending too much time with your brother.”

“Soulmates. She gets me,” Nico said, pulling Hazel underneath his arm and ruffling her hair.

She snorted and got him back, though his dark hair was already messy. “Ha--I really don’t. You’re a weird one, brother.”

Nico stuck his tongue and licked her cheek, and she screeched until their parents cleared their throats.

“I would have thought you’d be a little less energetic after spending all day with your friends,” Persephone remarked.

Hazel perked up. “Oh, it was great! We went to Cecil--that’s Will and Lou’s roommate. They’re all soulmates--anyway, we went to his family’s bowling alley, because they don’t really celebrate Thanksgiving, but business is slow so they still the close the place. We bowled the whole time. Jason showed up later, but Piper and Leo couldn’t make it. Reyna had to work. But we’re thinking maybe we’ll make it a tradition. Most of them said they’ve never been able to go home for Thanksgiving”--“Unlike us,” Nico interrupted, staring at their parents pointedly--“so this was a nice change.”

“I’m glad you had a good time,” Hades said.

“So did we. You’ve never lived until you’ve had Puerto Rican food on Thanksgiving,” Persephone said.

“Then we’ll have to ask Reyna next year,” Nico said.

Hades pursed his lips. “So you’re really not coming home for Thanksgiving next year?”

Nico crossed his arms. “Don’t put this on us. You’re the ones who decided to go on a trip and leave us to starve.”

“You can cook, Nico,” Persephone said.

“Well, I don’t like to.”

“What matters is,” Hazel interjected, “we had a good time. And we’ll be home for Christmas, like always.”

“Like always,” Hades echoed, giving his son a look.

The di Angelo-Levesque family talk continued until about ten, when Hazel started yawning, head falling onto Nico’s shoulders.

“I think that means it’s time to say goodbye. Happy Thanksgiving,” Persephone said, hair now free of all flowers.

“Happy Thanksgiving,” Hazel and Nico replied. The call dropped, and for a moment, they just leaned against each other.

“Those cookies Will made were so bad,” Hazel said.

Nico laughed. “Yeah. He can’t cook.”

“He’s lucky he’s cute,” she said. “Honestly, thank you for bringing him into my life, because cute boys are always welcome.”

“Hazel!” Nico stared at her.

She shrugged. “Just saying. Most of the cute boys you introduce me to are your dates. This one’s at least bi and single.”

“You are not dating Will,” he said.

“You can’t stop me.”

“You’re both my soulmates. You can’t date each other,” he argued, crossing his arms over his chest.

Hazel, taking that as a challenge, sat up. “Jason and Piper are dating, and Leo’s their soulmate.”

“That’s different.”

“It’s not though,” Hazel said, rolling her eyes and leaning back up against his arm. “Don’t worry, though. Will’s not his type.”

Nico snickered. “No. His mom is.”

She jerked away. “That is totally unfair! Naomi Solace is an inspirational black woman breaking barriers in country music--”

“--and apparently really hot according to you, Lou, and Reyna,” Nico replied.

She huffed. “Well. I really couldn’t date him then. It’d be too weird.”

“To be hot for his mom?”

“Nico!”

She glared, then snatched the skull ring off of his finger and ran down the hall. Nico sighed and leaned back in the chair, too tired to chase her. It didn’t really matter. She’d return it in the morning. After a moment, he rose from his seat and moved towards his bedroom.

Hazel wasn’t interested in Will, he reminded himself.

Why did the thought even bother him?

Thursday, November 30, 2017

“Why are you here?”

The question was directed at Reyna and Jason, who were gathered at the kitchen table with Hazel, the only one who actually lived there. Nico tossed his coat onto the rack as he leveled his soulmates with a cool stare, hoping that would get them to confess their scheme. It didn’t work. Reyna was the master of the cool stare, and Jason wasn’t wearing his glasses. He couldn’t see shit without his glasses.

“This is an intervention,” Reyna said.

Nico’s face was blank.

“Maybe it should be about all his wine bottles. I mean, damn, Nico, you’ve only been drinking for four years. How many do you need?” Jason asked, staring at the shelf to the side.

Nico rolled his eyes. “I inherited that from my mom, dumbass. And I’ve been drinking since I was sixteen.”

“That’s not legal in America.”

“I’m Italian.”

“You’re still in America.”

“This is not the point,” Reyna interrupted, voice sharp. Hazel nodded her support. Jason held his hands up in surrender, but Nico didn’t budge. “We’re here to talk about Will.”

Nico stiffened. “What about Will?” He kept his voice as level as he could.

“What the hell was going on at Thanksgiving?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Nico wondered if it would seem too coincidental if he said he forgot something at work. Of course it would. They weren’t going to let him get away.

“Nico, you and Will are normally joined at the hip when you get together. I know your hours don’t line up well. I’ve never seen you avoid each other like that,” Hazel said, as soft and gentle as ever, and dammit Nico hated that. It was hard not to talk to her when she used that tone.

Jason bit his lip, stretching the scar across it a little wider. “You weren’t avoiding him, though,” he said. “You tried to talk to him, didn’t you?”

Damn it. He really wasn’t getting out of this one.

Nico sighed and took a seat in the remaining chair. His soulmates perked up.

“I’m in love with Will,” he said.

Hazel and Reyna’s faces contorted, a curled lip, scrunched nose, wide eyes. Jason remained impassive.

“Look, I know it’s--” He stopped, not really having a defense. “I’m going to get over him. I couldn’t help it. But it’s not like-- He’s still my soulmate, and I thought-- Fuck.” Nico sighed and buried his head in his hands. Hazel reached to pat his shoulder.

“You know, not what I expected,” Reyna said, as awkward and clunky as she ever was when it came to emotions. Jason and Hazel gave her a look for interrupting. Nico adored her. He didn’t do this emotional shit either.

“It’s the first I’ve heard of it,” Hazel admitted. “You never said a thing to me. Have you been struggling with this for a while? Oh, Nico.” She threw her arms around her brother’s shoulders, leaning against him.

“It’s nothing. Will’s just hurt, okay? He’ll get over it, I guess,” Nico said, tugging himself from Hazel’s hold. He wasn’t convinced. Will hadn’t even spoken to him since. But he couldn’t hold out forever. They were soulmates.

Reyna raised her brows and made a disbelieving noise. “I don’t know. If you told me you were in love with me, I’d--”

“We’re both gay,” Nico said, narrowing his eyes at her.

“Okay. If Hazel told me she was in love with me, I’d be pretty uncomfortable. I mean, we’re beyond that,” she said, clasping her hands on the table. She lowered her eyes. “My point is that it would be rather . . . insulting.”

“I didn’t mean to insult him,” Nico said.

“No one said you did.” Hazel tried to defuse the situation.

Nico huffed. “It’s not my fault he was just being so cute, and, god, I was quiet about it for a year, so it’s not like I just-- I didn’t mean to--” He stopped, the weight of what was happening settling over him. He couldn’t really lose his soulmate over this. Could he? He needed Will, as much as he needed Hazel, Reyna, and Jason. They were his soulmates, his life partners. Without Will--

He blinked, tears gripping at his eyelashes. Reyna and Hazel stared, both looking ready to gather him up in their arms.

“You’re not the first.”

The other three turned to Jason, who’d been silent this entire time. His face was solemn, brows drawn together as he looked at the table.

“Look, I don’t go spreading this around because it’s not my business, and they like to keep it quiet,” Jason said, sitting up and hitting his hands on his knees, “but my soulmate Percy--he’s married to one of his soulmates. Annabeth. They’ve had a romantic relationship since they were . . . sixteen, I think.”

“Oh. Wow,” Hazel said, looking honestly astonished. She leaned back in her chair, shoulders slumping up.

Jason shrugged. “I was kind of shocked when I met them. But they’re happy together. So I think it’s fine. If they want it, then what’s it matter?”

Reyna and Hazel didn’t disagree. They looked to Nico.

“Lucky them,” he said, slamming his head into the table.

Jason smiled, the scar scrunching up. “I know it’s not what you want to hear. But I don’t think there’s much advice we can give you about this. They may have ended up together, but I think they’ll get what you’re going through. You should talk to them.”

Nico grunted.

“Well, since we’re all here,” Hazel said, brightening the room with a smile, “why don’t we watch a movie? What do you say, Nico? I’ll let you pick first.”

“Mythomagic: The Movie,” he said, slowly sitting up.

Jason and Reyna mock-groaned. He cracked a grin. So did they.

#megan writes #solangelo #posting this way after posting on ao3 bc i was zonked this morning #don't stay up until three doing homework kids

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