The Solace household was a completely different scenery. Starting with its external appearance, it was the only house with a colonial style of the neighborhood, with neat white walls, red roof tiles, and travertine marble pillars. There were lanterns on every corner of the garden and in the center an illuminated Greek fountain in which there was some god unknown to Nico.

"It's Apollo" Will clarified when he saw Nico staring at it. "Dad's a fan."

"Of landscaping or of the Greek Gods?"

Will thought about it for a moment.

"Both?"

"My father has a similar situation with Hades"

"God of the Underworld?"

Nico nodded.

"Cool"

«And that is why our garden is so dead,» Nico thought.

The inside was even more disturbing. At the entrance was a rug that said: «Leave your footwear here ⇨». Nico followed the arrow with his eyes and noticed it pointed to some kind of trunk-like box, where everyone else left their shoes.

He had to do so, too. Meanwhile, Mrs. Solace put Nico's aviator jacket on the coat rack. When she touched his skin, Nico shuddered violently.

"Did I scare you?"

"No. I'm just not really used to physical contact."

Mrs. Solace opened her mouth to ask about it, and then closed it without pronouncing a word. She gave Nico a warm smile and guided him to the dining room. There was a rectangular mahogany table with twelve seats under an old chandelier.

Nico's stomach made a funny noise, he was starving. Something smelled delicious, like...

A clearing of throat caught his attention. Mr. Solace was holding a wicker basket lined with a red and white fabric. It looked like he'd taken it from Little Red Riding Hood.

"It's strictly forbidden to have cellphones at the table" he informed.

Nico tightened his grip on the phone.

"And if my father calls?"

"Then you'll come here and answer."

Nico observed Will and his sisters set up the table like the perfect team. One put the placemats, another put napkins and cutlery, another placed glasses and Will had plates with food. Damn it, it was spaghetti.

Not having his phone in his pocket wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. But the actual dinner was. All attention was focused on Nico. The place where five pairs of blue eyes stared at. The victim of all questions.

Do you share Biology classes with Will? Why did you choose that subject? What career will you study after school? Which university are you going to? What are your hobbies? Sports? What were you doing under Will? (Sofía got sent to wash the dishes after that question) Why are you blushing? (The second sister, Danuska, suffered the same punishment)

Half an hour later, Nico felt like he couldn't stand it anymore. Food was delicious, but his plate was almost untouched. Nico was used to eating by himself, with no one analyzing how he does it as if he were an experiment. He needed privacy.

"I think I'd better get going," he said carefully "my father is probably worried."

"Aren't you going to finish?" Will asked.

"I'm not hungry" Nico lied. His stomach definitely disagreed. He hoped no one noticed.

"Well you better come to Will's birthday party with appetite," Lucía said. "It's a barbecue" Nico frowned, confused. "You knew that Will's birthday is in two weeks, right?"

Lucía was the only sister that out of prudence wasn't washing dishes. She's the second oldest, after Will. Unlike her sisters, Lucía had her mother's straight hair and wore it in layers until just below her jawline.

"Um...no"

"April 16th to be exact" explained Mrs. Solace, taking a sip from her blueberry juice "Will, hadn't you told him?"

"I forgot, but I still planned to tell him."

"When? April 15th?" Lucía snorted.

"No," said Will, before laughing and nodding with his head. "Probably April 14th".

Nico raised an eyebrow.

"Are you serious?"

"I told you I'm absent-minded"

Lucía winked, but Nico wasn't sure if it was for him or for her brother; they were sitting next to each other and she was at the other side the table.

"Well, a good time to mention it."

Nico was grateful that Lucía had taken attention from him, and by the way, mentioned that important detail. It was the first and only important thing said in the whole dinner.

"Well, I'm not going to delay you any further. Nice to meet you, Nico. Enjoy your meal." Lucía picked up her plate and headed to the kitchen.

Laughs and screeching sounds came from that direction.

"Will, go look after your sisters. We don't want to buy another set of dishes, do we?"

Will picked up Nico's unfinished plate in one hand, and his in the other, and as told. Mr. Solace gave Nico his phone back. It discouraged him a little that he had either no message or call from his father. Only a bit though, it's something he's used to, and it felt good to be disconnected for a while.

Then he had an idea. Something crazy, that made him enthusiastic.

Before Will came back, he shared it with Mr. and Mrs. Solace. They got to an agreement a few minutes before Will came back. The family said goodbye to Nico and Will drove him to his house in the Solace's car.

"Who'd say" Will snorted. "Your house is only two blocks away from mine."

Nico nodded.

"I thought I recognized the neighborhood. By the way, I already know how you'll pay the debt."

"You do?"

Nico looked at him in the eye.

"I want you to kiss me"

"What?!?!"

"Confess. Are you in love with me?"

***

"Will?" Nico snapped his fingers right in front of Will's eyes. "You okay? You look as if you'd seen a ghost."

Will tried to breathe normally.

"Did you say something?"

Nico looked at him as if he were a mad man.

"The only thing I said was that I had a feeling I recognized the neighborhood."

«Great» Will thought. «am I going mad?»

«Nico is driving you mad.» a voice said in his head.

Will got to his senses. No, no, he wasn't going mad with Nico still there. Nico exited the car and waved goodbye at Will. Instead of doing the same, Will gave him a paper bag.

"I'm sorry for what happened at my place. I noticed you couldn't eat with my family observing you. I also noticed that you liked spaghetti, so I saved you leftovers."

"Thanks," Nico grabbed the bag and smiled; Will could've sworn that Nico's smile brightened the night. "but you know what? I enjoyed the last few minutes with your parents. Besides from the fact that they looked at me like if grown a third eye, you have a lovely family."

Nico entered his house, it was dark and quiet, except for a room on the top floor. Will wondered if Nico had ever had a family dinner before.

Back in the Solace house, all five of Will's family members were sitting in the sofa waiting for Will to return. They all approved of Nico.

"I told you! I told you!" Sofía screamed "Did you notice how they kept stealing glances from each other? Did you notice their blushing faces, their nervousness? They'll be boyfriends! I'm as sure as my last name is Solace!"

Lucía nodded.

"They like each other, no doubt."

The mother smiled as she shook her head.

"Girls, they barely know each other. Besides, how do know if Nico is gay?"

Danuska chuckled.

"No straight guy would look at Will the way Nico did. He is, at least, bi."

"That's true," said the father.

Mrs. Solace rolled her eyes.

"You and your role as «strict father». Was it necessary to scare off the boy?"

"Yeah, you ruined their kiss, dad!!" Sofía jumped dramatically on the sofa, both hands over her heart. "That was cruel!"

Mr. Solace raised his hands.

"In my defense, I needed to get to know him first."

Danuska looked at Sofia with complicity.

"Can we make them kiss?"

"No, let them go at their own pace."

"But..."

"No."

Mrs. Solace sighed.

"I hope this works. I've never seen Will so enthusiastic about anyone before." She remembered her conversation with Nico. "Nor anybody doing something like that for Will."

Lucía smiled and leaned forward. She had heard the conversation of Nico and her parents.

"Am I a genius, or what??"

"What did she do?" Sofía pouted. "Can I know? Please, please, please!"

"Me too! " Danuska said. "Please!!"

"Jeez, lower your volume," Lucía complained before showing a mischievous smile. "You'll find out at Will's birthday."