After that night, Nico had become more wary. He wasn't sure Will had meant what he had said. It had been the middle of the night. Would he really be there for him? Did peolle always mean what they said when they were sleep deprived? Maybe he hadn't been sleep deprived but he had certaintly been sleepy after being awaken in the middle of the fucking night.

He sighed, two weeks had passed and instead of being a friend, a friend Will deserved, he was avoiding him. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he just be his friend? Nico had other friends, one more wouldn't be so different. But he couldn't. He couldn't be the friend Will deserved, because as much as he tried, he knew he would let him down at some point. And he couldn't bring himself to do that. Not again. Not after so many let downs.

"Nico? Hey, we should be heading toward luggage claim, Frank will be waiting for us there." Hazel nudged him gently and he came back to the present.

They were at the airport, waiting for Frank, Hazel's very buff, very shy boyfriend. After a moth of trying to set up everything in his and Hazel's new apartment back in New York, he was finally able to come to L.A. with his girlfriend.

Nico nodded and followed Hazel to the luggage claim area. Frank was there already and his face broke into a smile when he saw her. Hazel ran up to hug him. She was grinning. He was so buff that Hazel was almost completely lost in hus embrace and she was on her tiptoes too.

Nico didn't think he'd ever seen a more adorable couple.

When they broke apart Frank saw Nico and waved awkwardly, "Hey Nico."

Nico waved back with the same awkwardness, "Hey Frank. Glad you could join us."

"Yeah...Will's not with you?" He seemed genuinely curious as to why Nico's husband wasn't with him.

Hazel was the one who shook her head and nodded, "They haven't been spending a lot of time together lately, we left before he woke up today."

That was when Nico realized Hazel had been telling Frank all about him and Will and he probably wanted them togther as much as Hazel did. That made him blush. People actually wanted them together.

When Frank saw Nico blush, he blushed too. "Oh uh, did something happen?"

No fucking way. Frank Zhang shipped Nico and Will. Then again, it shouldn't surprise him. Frank was one of the sweetest and nicest people Nico had met. He no doubt wanted Nico to find someone who could understand him as much as Hazel and maybe Jason and Reyna too.

Nico turned away, "Nothing happened. We're just not hanging out. It's no big deal."

Frank picked up the luggage he'd dropped when he hugged Hazel, "Oh okay. Well um, I hope you hang out again."

"We still see each other," Nico said as they made their way out of the airport. And it was true. They shared a room for fuck's sake, it wasn't like he could just pretend he didn't exist. He just kept his distance.

Will of course had tried to shorten that distance the whole time Nico tried to lengthen it but Nico wouldn't let him. He, as he mentioned so many times already, refused to let him down. The best way to do that was to not be friends.

Those days, Hades had become weaker and sicker so he didn't come out of his room anymore. Persephone rarely left his side too. She would come out for breakfast sometimes but for the most part, either Hazel, Nico or even Will made meals and brought them up to their room. It made avoiding Will that much easier.

As the walked back to the car, Frank and Hazel talked and smiled, lost in their own little world. Nico tried to ignore the fact that he wished he were like that with someone sometimes.

When they were home, they went staright to Hades and Persephone. Nico, on the other hand, made his way to the backyard, attempting to avoid seeing Will as much as he could. But when he opened the door, Will was sitting out on the grass looking up at the clear blue sky. He noticed Nico immediately.

He smiled, "Nico, you're back. Why didn't you wake me to go with you?"

Nico shrugged, "You didn't need to go with us."

Will looked back at the sky, "It would have been nice to accompany you." When Nico didn't reply, he patted the spot next to him on the ground. "Sit."

"What if I don't feel like it?"

"Please?"

Nico let out a huff of air, "You're annoying." But he sat next to him.

Will kept quiet for a couple moments. Nico didn't say anything, he wanted to, like everything else, avoid a conversation. But then Will talked. "Why are you avoiding me? I didn't know it would even be possible, considering we live together and share a room."

Nico shrugged again, "I don't know."

"You do. Would you mind telling me? Did I do something wrong?"

"No."

"Then what?"

Another shrug, then a quick mumble. "Idon'twanttodisappointyou."

"What?"

"I don't want to disappoint you." He said a little louder.

"You-oh Nico. You would never disappoint me."

"That's what you're saying now."

"Because it will always be true."

Nico frowned, getting more annoyed than usual, "No it won't."

"It will."

"Look Will, you don't understand shit." He stood, "So don't pretend like you do."

He was halfway back to the door before he realized he had more to say and went back, "And we aren't married, not really. So stop pretending we are. Better yet, why don't you go find yourself someone to date? Maybe then you'll leave me the fuck alone."

"I'm just trying to help. I don't--"

"No. No. Shut up. Just shup up. We'll never be friends. Fuck off and find yourself another guy to play pretend with. I don't want you. I don't need you."

With every word he had said, Will's eyes lost their brightness. At the last sentence, he flinched. He didn't even answer as Nico turned and walked back inside.

Nico didn't know why he was so irritated.   He didn't care to know anyway. He just wanted Will away from him. He wanted him far away. And when he made it to his room, he got his wish, he heard the front door open and close and the lock click. He looked outside his window to see Will walking away from the house. He quickly closed the curtain when he saw Will about to turn his head.

But when the numbers on the clock turned to 1:03 am Nico got worried. What had he done? What was wrong with him? What if Will was hurt or dead even and he was here acting like a child just to push him away. That was what had happened. He didn't really want him to leave. He wanted him to keep trying. He wanted him to pester him with his medical terms and florty actions. But something could have hallened to him. And Frank or Hazel hadn't even noticed because they'd spent the day with Hades.

So not only had Nico pushed away someone who could be an amazing friend, but he wasn't ven therefor his father.

Suddenly, h couldn't take it anymore and grabbed his jacket and keys, sprinting outside to the car. Because what if Will really was hurt or dead and the last words Nico had told him were 'I don't need you'.

He went downtown and drove around for what felt like forever and when he didn't find him, he went back near home and parked the car. Searching on foot, might work best.

He was right. But he found Will talking with another guy. He was smiling too. A pang hit Nico's chest and he was out of breath. What the fuck was that reaction? He was about to turn and just go home when he heard Will say his name.

"Nico? What are you doing here?"

Taking a deep breath to calm his all of a sudden hurting, racing heart, he turned around and faced the freckled blond. He lied, "Taking a walk."

Will knew he was lying. Nico saw it in the way his lips twitched in the need to form his ever present smile. "Are you?"

Nico grumbled, "Cut the crap, Will. I know you know I'm lying."

Now Will's smile appeared, "Were you perhaps worried about your husband?"

"Whoa," the guy who had been with Will stood up, "You're married?"

Nico set a glare on him, "He is. To me. In case you didn't get that."

The guy glared angrily at Will, "What the fuck. Here I was looking to get laid and some married asshole is the one I get, wonderful."

Nico poked his chest, "How about you shut the fuck up and fuck off before I punch you?"

The guy slowly backed away before he fully turned and walked faster. Nico heard him mutter, "Fucking psychos."

Nico was indeed going to punch him like he promised but Will stopped him. "Let him go."

Nico whirled on him. "I'm worried about you and you're flirting with some fuckmaggot?"

"I wasn't. He asked what was wrong and I told him but--you were worried?" Will was smiling.

Nico huffed, "Shut up before I punch you."

Without warning, Will took a hold of his hand. "I'm glad you were worried about me."

"Let's just go home. Its almost two in the morning."

No other words were spoken as they headed home together. 

But when the room was dark and they were laying down, Will on the couch and Nico in his bed, he said, "Will?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm...sorry...for what I said. I didn't mean it."

"Already forgotten, angel."

A/N

Sooo...one more part left. That will come Saturday.  I really hoped  you guys liked it. And...I don't know what else to say.

Oh but so to any of you reading You, I'm so sorry I couldn't post today. I'm behind schedule. I'm so sorry. School is the worst and college essays and wallowing in self pity and whatnot. I'm sorry but I'll try to have that up as soon as I can. Love you guys. Muah. I'm weird sorry.

Yours in demigodishness and all that, Izzy

OH ALSO ALEX FIERRO IS YES. LOVE. LOVE. LOOOOOOOOOVE. I THANK THE HEAVENS.