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Despite what Jason keeps saying, Nico does not need a rebound date.
So what if he happens to spend a few days huddled in a blanket cocoon on Jason’s floor after Percy’s polite – if slightly awkward - but inevitable rejection of Nico’s feelings. It’s not like Nico was binge watching Lifetime movies or crying at any mention of the older boy. And the only reason he had eaten so much ice cream was because it seemed to be the only thing that Jason had packed his freezer full of after Nico called him. When Nico arrived at the Grace household – feeling like a terrible, miserable mess and probably looking it too – Jason had simply pushed a bowl of caramel pecan and a pair of pajamas into his hands with the only explanation that he had already texted Nico’s father and that Nico should get ready for the best weekend of ‘Bro-bonding’ that he will ever experience.
Now, as a sunny Monday morning was rolling around Nico didn’t even try to fight the relief he was feeling at the start of another school week. Or, in more accurate wording, to the possibility of escaping Jason. And as eternally grateful he was to the god that somehow managed to make Jason his best friend, he couldn’t wait to be out of the clutches of his newly obtained, permanently hovering, mother hen that Jason had morphed into over the long weekend.
First, it was how Percy didn’t deserved him, didn’t realize what he was missing out on, or was too stupid for Nico, or too boring, or too immature, too self-absorbed, too needy…
Honestly, Jason named pretty much every reason in the book except too straight
And when Jason realized that particular strategy wasn’t working, he moved on to distracting Nico with everything he could think of – eating, watching movies, watching TV, playing videogames, eating, playing board games, taking on the phone Reyna and Hazel, more eating.
It was probably the near food coma that snapped Jason out of that tactic.
And now they were here.
“Just give me a few days and I promise I can find you a date.” Jason told him with a convincing grin, waving his hands around the steering wheel. His eyes darted back and forth across the student parking lot as they both looked for a spot.
“Jason, I don’t – over there by the red car – need a date, I’m fine. I didn’t date before and I don’t now.” Nico sat straight up, pointing to a space. Jason, with a few choice curse words, pulled into the smaller then usual parking spot. So small that there was no way that Nico would be able to get out of his side, not even his bony figure able to slip between the doors. Which then resulted in Nico having to climb over Jason’s seat, which then resulted in Nico attempting to maneuver around the truly abnormal amount of garbage in the front seat, which then resulted in Nico slicing his palm after putting his weight down the sharp side of one of Piper’s earrings she’d left behind.
The final result? Nico cursing a lot.
“God fucking dammit” Nico cursed, holding his palm to his mouth and sucking the pain away, “Holy mother of god”
“Whoa sailor,” Jason laughed, taking a look at Nico’s hand. He made a face at the blood before shrugging, “Eh, you’ll be fine. Wash it a little, put some pressure on it.”
Nico rolled his eyes and scrunched the sleeve of his sweatshirt around the wound, “My hero,”
They started walking towards the steel double doors that led to the front entrance when Jason grew suddenly serious and turned towards Nico and stopped.
“You just need to get back out there, that’s all I’m saying.” Jason gave him a tense smile and squeeze on his shoulder before Nico could shrug him off.
Nico rolled his eyes, “Jesus Jason, you’re acting like I’ve been recently widowed or something. I got rejected, that’s it. He was just a guy.”
“Yeah,” Jason said quietly, almost under his breath, “but you said he was the guy.’”
Nico turned away, applied more pressure to his hand, and didn’t bother to correct him
_
At this point, he kind of wished he didn’t have so many friends. Which, two years ago, he wouldn't have been caught thinking. His plan was to get school over with, go home, mope a bit, maybe eat a cupcake, rise and repeat. As grateful as he was for his wonderful friends, they obviously didn’t have the same idea.
“You have plans after school,” Reyna informed Nico as he and Jason walked by her locker. “You’re coming along with Piper and I to get coffee.” She told him, smirking. Nico gave her a raised eyebrow, ready to argue about his so called ‘plans’ despite how much he actually wanted to hang out with her. She seemed to one of his only friends who didn't take a pitying stance on the topic of Nico’s loveless love life.
Jason smiled and gave him a thumbs up before joining Piper across the hallway. Hazel, standing to Reyna’s right, gave her a look before pulling Nico into soft hug that reeked of sympathy and pity. Nico tried not to be too rough with her as he pushed away from her.
“You’re more than welcome to join Frank and I for dinner,” she told him, smoothing his hair back as he tried to pull away from her touch. He briefly entertained the thought of coming along, mostly to enjoy the awkward that Frank would inevitably feel should Nico tag along on their date, but decided against it. Nico ducked under her arm as she began to mess with his collar, “Maybe another time.” He called over his shoulder and he headed for his locker. He kept his head ducked down as he walked, the throb of his palm still reminding him of his mild injury. He almost made it down the hall where he could make his escape into the men’s bathroom for a few moments of peace when he heard it.
His laugh – his laugh – echoed off the metal lockers and seemed to knock Nico right off his feet. Even through the crowds of people that were beginning to form in the hallways his laugh and his voice cut through the noise like a hot knife. Nico didn’t turn and face him - just stood there in the middle of the hallway, frozen in the moment. People pushed around him, making noises of frustration at his unmoving stance but he paid them no attention – only focused on Percy. His voice was getting closer, the annoying squeaks of his constantly damp sneakers acting as a countdown to his impending arrival. Hell, he could almost smell the too-strong chlorine of the school pool that clung to Percy’s skin like cologne.
Nico finally connected the dots on what was happening and what he would really, really like to avoid before he jumped from his rigid stance and into the nearest open door – a classroom. He nearly sprinted in, using his ankle to grab the door from behind him and shut it. He turned and squinted through the little glass window and waited a few seconds to watch Percy and Grover walk pass, laughing, and completely oblivious to everything that was hitting him at once. He sighed and his breath fogged up the glass and only blurred Percy’s leaving figure.
“Uh…hello?”
Nico jumped, hitting his forehead on the glass. Hissing out a curse, he spun to face the other person – other boy – in the room. He rubbed at his forehand with his uninjured hand.
“Oh shit – I didn’t mean to scare you – I mean - I guess you’re not here for tutoring?” The boy – tall and blonde – stepped forward like he wanted to get better look at Nico’s head.
Nico leaned out of his reach, “Tutoring? What are you talking about?”
The boy gave him a look, “I do tutoring? You know when you get extra help out of class?” Nico rolled his eyes but the boy kept going, “Sports Medicine? Anatomy? Health and Wellness?”
Nico gave him a wide eyed look, “We have an Anatomy class?”
The boy sighed and gave Nico a long look, “I’m Will Solace” He said finally.
"Congratulations." Nico muttered sarcastically.
The boy rolled his eyes and began to pack up the textbooks he had spread around him.
“Nico di Angelo,” he offered, surprising himself. Usually he would have told the poor guy to piss of in three different languages by now. It was probably the mild head wound.
“You gonna let me check that out?” Will gestured towards the bundle of sleeve Nico was pressing to his aching palm.
“It’s fine.” He shrugged, a bit awkwardly, “Just have to wash it or something.”
Will gave Nico a look that suggested that he was going to give him another head wound if he didn’t comply. “Prove it.” Will challenged, taking a seat at a desk and pulling out a small first aid kit. “Let me see.”
Nico sat next to him, more out of curiosity on what he was going to do then anything. It also helped that Will had some of the nicest blue eyes Nico had seen in awhile.
“Hand.” Will ordered, holding his own hand out to take Nico’s injured one. He tried to resist blushing as he obeyed – it wasn’t everyday a cute guy tried to help him okay?
They sat in silence for the few minutes that Will cleaned off the wound and began to tape it up. It had stopped bleeding long ago, just the hurt left to remind him of its existence.
“Who were you hiding from when you ran in here?” Will asked, breaking the silence that Nico had been enjoying. Nico kept his gaze down, resting his chin on his arm that the other boy was working on.
“Just some guy.” Nico mumbled, short n’ sweet, hoping he wouldn’t pursue it anymore. He didn’t exactly feel like describing his heartache in detail when he still had an entire school day to suffer through.
Will held up a pair of sharp, shiny medical scissors and smiled, “You shouldn't lie to your doctor, patient di Angelo.”
Nico barked out a laugh but before he could answer Will stood and unpeeled a final band-aid. "Tis but a flesh wound." Will quoted to him, smiling widely at him as he smoothed the band-aid over Nico’s skin.
Nico snorted and rolled his eyes. "How many times a day do you use that line?"
"Only on my favorite patients." Will told him with twinkling eyes and a mischievous grin. Nico turned a fine red and pulled his hand away quickly.
“I should get going.” He told him, gesturing towards the clock. “The warning bell’s going to be ringing any minute now.”
Will nodded and shuffled all the supplies back into the first-aid kit. “Well it was nice meeting you, Nico. You better not be getting anymore injuries this early in the morning, ya hear?” Will waved the silver scissors over his eyebrow and saluted him goodbye.
Nico gave him a small smile and lingered in the doorway and re-adjusted his backpack. “You know…a few friends and I are going out for coffee after school. You should totally come, like, if you want too.”
Will beamed back at him and it was like staring into the sun – warm, bright, and kind of hurt his eyes – and gathered his things before meeting Nico at the doorway, “I’ll check if I’m busy.” He smiled slightly coyly, “But I wouldn’t want you getting anymore injuries without me there to clean you up, would I?”
Nico’s face flamed up but he nodded, “Defiantly not. I’m known to be quite clumsy so I think, for the sake of my health, that it would be best for you to tag along.”
Will laughed and they both squeezed through the doorway as the warning bell for the start of the day rang out.
And despite what Jason kept saying, Nico still does not need a rebound date.