Nico

Nico was taking back everything he said. There was no flicker of hope inside of him and he didn't have a crush because he was too busy hating his crush with a vengeance.

"Solace! Get your butt back here!" He yelled, running after the giggling blond through the endless hallways of the castle. If someone had told Nico that he would be chasing an idiotic boy around in circles, he would've stared them down until they ran off with their tail between their legs and then proceeded to stare down any idiotic boys that crossed his path as well.

Yet here he was, hunting down one highly idiotic William Solace. For the sole reason of getting his stupid crown back, no less. He wouldn't have bothered to get it back if Will hadn't insisted on mocking him. Yes he used funny hand gestures when he talked, yes he liked Mythomagic and no, it wasn't a child's game so there was no reason for Will to steal his crown and do a horribly inaccurate impression of him.

What was especially frustrating was that Will would not stop his impressions no matter how terrible Nico said they were.  'I have the crown and the crown means I'm in charge' He had claimed. Nonsense.

Nonsense or not though, Nico would not allow such insolence. Therefore he was running with everything he had so he could catch that blue eyed menace and reclaim his property.

Conveniently, Nico was a lot faster than Will. As soon he turned the corner, he was within range. He lunged forward and successfully tackled the older boy to the ground. A feeling satisfaction washed over Nico when he heard Will groan in pain once he fell down on top him as well. Serves him right. He sat up and smugly plucked the crown from his hands, placing it on his head in the daintiest manner possible just to be extra snobby. Will didn't look very amused but that was the point.

"Now I'm in charge. I ought to have you thrown in the dungeon for that insulting act." He said flatly, trying to seem as intimidating as possible. Will wasn't having it.

"Ya ya, sure Death Boy. Now get off me you tiny bean, you weigh a ton." Will complained and Nico could feel a renewed sense of indignation swell up within him. He snarled and put his hands flat against Will's chest, leaning in close to him.

"Why don't you make me, Sunshine." He growled softly, smirking when Will's face flushed a pretty shade of scarlet. It wasn't until he noticed the slightest widening of Will's eyes and the soft gasp that escaped his lips that he realized what sort of position they were in. Nico was sitting on Will's hips, their bodies pressed firmly against each other while their faces were so close that the slightest tilt of Nico's head would have their lips locked in a kiss. It was also then that he realized that anyone, including his father could walk right around the corner at any moment.

He launched himself off Will, landing on his ass a good few feet away from him before he hurriedly stood and backed up right into a wall. Smooth.

Nico opened his mouth to apologize but then Will got up as well and brushed himself off. He turned to look at him, his face still scarlet as he gave him a small smile before he shyly looked at the ground again. Any apologies that Nico had thought up died in his throat at the sight of him. 

Okay, so maybe hate wasn't exactly the right word to describe what he felt for Will Solace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nico very much regretted taking the crown back. Now instead of mocking him, Will was giving him just a little too much respect, treating him like how princes 'should' be treated. Nico could tell that he didn't really mean it, if the mischevious glint in his eyes was anything to go by, but that didn't make it any less infuriating.

They currently were on their way to the kitchen since Will's stomach had started grumbling. Again. Nico was seriously started to get worried about him. Did this kid ever eat outside of the castle? What about his family? Did he even have a family? Okay, that last question was a bit silly. Will had to have a family, right? No one smiles that much when they're alone.

Before Nico could ponder over it any further, they had arrived at the dining hall, Will bowing down extravagantly in front of the door.

"After you, Prince Nico." Why must he be so aggravating? Couldn't Nico pine after him in peace? He sighed. Only one option left now.

"You know what, fine. You may address me as the Prince." He stated defeatedly, rubbing his temples. Will clearly hadn't expected this reply.

"Wait, really?" Nico had to hold back a smirk at how naïve he sounded. He had no idea what he was getting himself into.

"Yes. On one condition."  He said, folding his hands behind his back. Will narrowed his eyes at him but eventually he nodded and agreed. Wrong choice. He should have never trusted Nico. "From now on I get to call you, princess."

He felt an almost sadistic sense of pleasure as the scarlet blush burst onto Will's face again. The shocked and embarrassed expression on his face, combined with the scandalised look in his eyes and his inability to produce a single sound other than a squeak was most satisfying. Nico smiled innocently at him before purposefully striding past him and into his seat in the dining room, beginning to eat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once again, Nico was regretting his actions. This time the regret felt worse. Will hadn't said a single word since he had teased him. He wasn't even smiling. Will always smiled.

Though it was clear as day that he wasn't now. His face was painfully neutral as he stared at a random spot on the table, the blush still on his cheeks, however it had died down to a light pink. He originally had been staring at Nico but when the prince quirked an eyebrow at him questioningly, Will's ears had turned a bright shade of pink and he quickly turned his eyes elsewhere.

The silence stretched on for a long, awkward period. Nico was beginning to question himself again. Had he teased Will too much? Did he make him uncomfortable? He should apologize, shouldn't he? Did he even apologize earlier for tackling him? He couldn't remember if he did. That settled it. He was apologizing right this instant.

He turned towards Will to do just that but something about the blond's expression caught him off guard. Nico followed his gaze and suddenly noticed that Will had been staring at Nico's food for the past ten minutes. Oh. Nico was an idiot. Will wanted to try some of his food and was too embarrassed to ask. Why else would he be blushing and have such a longing expression on his face?

"Oh, do you want some?" He asked curiously, watching as Will's eyes snapped up to him, the blush on his face deepening. Nico smiled fondly at him and twirled some of his pasta onto his fork, holding it up to Will's lips. "Here, let me feed you."

Will didn't move. For the longest time he just sat there and stared at him. A long enough time for Nico to realize what he said. He could feel a blush creeping down his neck, but he was too prideful to pull the fork away, simply staring back at Will.

Another few painful seconds passed and Nico was about to say to hell with his pride when Will smiled at him. A small, bashful little smile that stole Nico's breath away. Not because of how his pink lips curved upwards and because of his adorably slightly crooked teeth, but because of his eyes. The way they seemed to sparkle with absolute joy. Will smiled a lot but this was the first time that Nico could see it reach his eyes so genuinely. In a scary way, this smile made all the other ones seem fake.

Before Nico could think on this thought any longer, Will moved forward, opening his mouth and wrapping his lips around the end of the fork, all the while keeping eye contact with Nico. He then very slowly pulled away, chewing the pasta and swallowing before smiling at him coyly. This boy was going to kill him one day.

"Delicious." And Nico was dead. Totally and completely dead.

To avoid answering, Nico just continued to feed him, trying to ignore the burning of his cheeks and the amused expression on Will's face.

Nico was certain of it now. He had definitely died and went to Elysium.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Will

Will twirled around as he walked through the forest, letting out a carefree laugh. It felt good to laugh for real. He hadn't been able to stop feeling happy ever since he left the castle. Genuinely happy, not the fake version that his curse forced him to show.

He and Nico might've only spent the majority of the day running, eating and being dorks in general but Will wouldn't change a thing about it.  He couldn't stop the warm fuzzy feeling that bloomed up in his chest.

It reminded him of the times his mother would hold him close and sing him to sleep every night before bed. Or of the times when his father would let him sit in his lap and he'd teach him the healing arts, the trade that Will had been so so interested to learn about whenever he could while his father would always be bragging to the others about how proud he was of him. It reminded him of the time when Lou and Cecil found out about his curse and proceeded to have the longest competition in the history of competitions to who could get the most genuine laughs and smiles out of Will. The warm fuzzy feeling he felt back in those moments was only a fraction of the size of what he felt now.

What he felt now put him on top of the world. He felt light and carefree and like nothing could ever bring him down from the current high that he was riding on. Not the cold weather, not the ratty old couch he was going back to, not even Cassandra. Absolutely nothing.

But alas, eventually the day had to come to an end and Will had to go back to the forest. He hadn't wanted to leave and he could tell that Nico was reluctant to let him go as well but he knew that neither of them would be able to give a plausible reason for why there was a village boy sleeping in the prince's bed...that was phrased badly but Will was alone so he was allowed to think whatever gay thoughts he wanted to think.

Although with the next step he took, the snow crunched under his boots and he was torn from that line of thinking. Yes, he had boots now. Nico had insisted on getting him a custom fit pair when he noticed that he had been wearing the same pair of ratty, open toed sandals that he had always worn. Will had protested, as usual (He hadn't wanted eggplant shoes after all) but Nico had refuted him by saying that he refused to be friends with anyone who stupidly lost all their toes to frostbite. Getting new, thankfully non vegetable resembling boots apparently also meant that Will needed an entire new outfit. That day he ended up going back to the house with three jackets, seven sweaters, five new shirts and pants and a whole basket of fuzzy socks. Not that he was complaining. The rickety old house hadn't come with any blankets or bedsheets so the extra layers were the next best thing to wear during the cold nights.

Speaking of the house, it had finally started to loom up in Will's view now that he approached the edge of the forest. Every time he saw it, he always thought about how it was a miracle that it hadn't collapsed by now. Maybe for once, the Fates were smiling down on him.

He made his way up the front steps, ignoring the way they groaned under his weight. He brushed off the creaking of the front porch, chalking it up to the house's age taking its effect. He payed no mind to the squealing of the door hinges or the squeaking of the floorboards. These were just the usual noises after all. It was only when he was halfway to the couch and heard a sickening crack that he froze in place. He wasn't even given the chance to cry out before the floor gave way from underneath him and he was falling down.

Down

Down

Down into the endless darkness.

Will crashed down in a heap on top of the broken floorboards, his head smashing into the ground and making his vision darken at the edges. From what he could make out from the little light that filtered through from the hole, he had fallen into some sort of cellar, shelves of preserved food and cobwebs lining the walls.

Will knew that he should probably try to find a way out but at the moment, all he could think about was how exhausted he suddenly was. Had he always been this tired? He didn't think so. Then again, he had been running around all day with Nico and he supposed the long nights he laid awake on the couch hadn't exactly been the most restful. Will never expected broken floorboards to feel any better but somehow they were. He felt as if he was floating on air in the middle of an empty void. His eyelids started to slip shut and he decided to give in.

He let the darkness pull him under.