One year later.

Will Solace was arrested on March 13th, 2018 after a raging court battle against Hades di Angelo. In this time, him and Nico di Angelo both grew closer and farther apart. Nico couldn't get the fact out of his head: Will was probably going to prison because of him. Because of this, Nico broke whatever romantic relations and friendship they had a week before Will was arrested. He didn't say goodbye.

Will, of course, was devastated. He was going to prison for something that wasn't really his fault and his crush -possibly more- had cut all ties between them. He went into prison with his head hanging low.

After the whole charade, Hades was a free and unsuspected man. Acknowledging how close he was to being found out, he and Persephone wisely moved away. Nico was glad, but there was still something bothering him.

He couldn't help but feel the smallest piece of regret for leaving Will. Even though he know Will was better off, much better off, he yearned for the time they first kissed- even though that time period and everything that followed left a foul taste in his mouth.

None of Nico's friends and what was left of his family (Hazel, who had made a bargain with Persephone and Hades so she could stay with Nico, she'd be eighteen that year anyway) were able to brighten his spirits. He hid himself away in his bed for days at a time, only getting up for the bathroom and when Hazel forced him to eat. He often heard her murmuring in her phone to one of their friends, distressed about what to do. That was another piece of guilt that ate away at him.

In June, Nico managed to graduate. He almost didn't attend the ceremony because he had no family besides Hazel, who wasn't even graduating, and it was a reminder that Will would not be. Eventually, Hazel convinced him to go by pointing that by missing his graduation, he'd also be missing everyone else's. Knowing that if he didn't go that'd be something else to make him feel bad, so, begrudgingly, Nico went. He couldn't deny the rush of pride when he saw all his friends getting their diploma's, and was a tiny bit grateful that Hazel got him to go. Afterwards, they all went out to celebratory dinner.

In August, Nico got the worst call of his life. He picked up his phone, the name Piper flashing on his phone screen. Thinking that it was another futile attempt to get him to go out, he groaned, and answered.

"Nico," Piper's shaking voice surprised him, and he immediately sat up, suddenly alert. "N-Nico, it's Jason."

At that moment, he knew.

"He got into an accident, he's-" Her voice cut off, a sob filling Nico's ears. "He's dead, Nico."

The rest of Piper's words were drowned out by the ringing in his ears. He heard the words car and drunk driver and gone before he reached the hospital, but couldn't process them. Hazel came in then, confused at Nico's expression and pried his phone from his hands, putting it against her ear. Her shocked gasp came a moment later before it finally came clear to Nico and a sob heaved in his chest.

Jason's gone.

Hazel sat beside Nico, wrapping her arms around him as they both sobbed. Jason, who was devoted to become Nico's friend. Jason, who always knew when Nico was feeling bad just from a single look. Jason, who was Nico's best friend. Jason, who was dead.

Sleeping became Nico's new favorite activity. When he was sleeping, he couldn't think about Will or Jason or Bianca or his father or his mother. Besides the nights he'd dream, which was the bane of his existence. In his dreams there was always a memory from when he was happy, when Jason was alive and Will wasn't in prison and Bianca and his mother were always there to hug him.

The only time Nico left his house was to go to the funeral, which was almost as worst as when he got the news. Almost to spite the mood and occasion, it was sunny and hot and everything that screamed happy when nothing was happy, and Nico had figured out a while ago he'd never be happy again.

There was speeches that were hardly bearable to hear. How could he listen to good things about Jason when Jason would never get to do a good thing again? To Nico's shock, Piper spoke about Jason too.

"Jason. . . Jason was more than just another person. More than a name. He made everyone around him happy. He wasn't just my boyfriend, he was my best friend. My soulmate. My life partner. It was the two of us, for the rest of our lives. We had a plan. A future. But that was taken away in mere minutes, because of an asshole who couldn't just get a taxi, or an Uber, or a Lyft, or call someone to pick him up. He had to get behind that wheel. Because of that, Jason is no longer here and breathing with us today. All of our friends always joked about how bad of a driver he was, but he was always smarter than the person who got drunk or tipsy or whatever and got people killed. Jason was only eighteen. Why did he deserve to die that day? Could his death have been prevented if that person didn't get into the car, or was his future set in stone from when he was born? We'll never get to know. We'll never see him go to college or become a parent, and we'll never know if that could've been prevented. For now we can only wish that he's in a better, happier place, and hope that we will meet him there in the future. I love you, Jason, and I hope you'll wait for me."

And now, November 19th, Nico couldn't stop thinking about Will. It had been seven months since he'd last seen him. It all seemed like so long ago. He kept thinking about how prison was, and how Will was surviving. Of course, he'd thought about it before, but today the thoughts were even more pressing. He was spending his nineteenth birthday in prison, because of Nico. He knew he must hate him. Who wouldn't? But still. . . A little visit wouldn't hurt, right? After everything that happened, would it be okay for Nico to just show up? On his birthday?

No. He couldn't. Will's parents would be visiting, anyway.

It's not like they'll be there all day. You could just go for five minutes, if Will would want to talk at all, and then go. It wouldn't be for three hours. Just to see how he's doing.

And that is how Nico got himself sitting in a chair in front of thick glass, staring at the seat where Will Solace would be sitting soon. His neck dripped with sweat, his fingers fidgeting. And then he saw him.

His blond hair was slightly grown out, freckles still scattered across his face. His skin seemed to have lost his color, his eyes dull and lifeless. He wore an orange uniform, no doubt the required clotheswear for inmates. Despite all this, a smile played at his lips. It dropped once he saw Nico.

It was like waiting for a bomb to blow. His face remained emotionless and rigid, and after what seemed like hours he sat down, never once breaking eye contact with Nico. Wordlessly, he reached for the telephone hanging on the wall. Nico averted his eyes from Will's, and reached for his own telephone.

"I thought you'd be my parents," Will's voice whispered, sounding just like he remembered. Nico almost whimpered.

"I- um-" Nico searched for his words. "I didn't-"

"You know what, no," Will interrupted him, and the anger in his voice caused Nico to look back up. "I've spent seven months in here, and for the majority of it I was wondering the same thing: what did I do? I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that you just- just cut all communication with me after everything that happened. Then I realized that I didn't do anything. And since then, I've been waiting for this day, the day you came to see me, if it ever came, and planned what I'd say. The betrayal and sadness I felt. So you can save whatever excuses you're going to spit, I don't want to hear them. It's my turn to talk."

A lump found its way in Nico's throat. "Will," he whispered. "Please. I missed you."

"Oh, you missed me?" A short, sarcastic laugh erupted from Will. "Well, that's great. Is that all you missed the past seven months? Because I missed the outside world. I missed my house, and my friends, and my freedom."

This was what Nico was expecting, yet it still felt like he was being stabbed. He kept looking at the table, anything to not see the hurt in Will's face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so insensitive."

"It doesn't matter what you say now," Will muttered bitterly, "you already made it quite clear we're never going to be friends. Not that I'd want to be friends anymore. Or anything else."

"Will, you have to understand. I fel-"

"I don't have to understand anything," Will snapped.

"No. Of course not. But with you, and Jason, I needed-" His voice caught.

"Don't get me started on Jason," Will growled. "Don't you dare."

"Why not?" Nico demanded angrily. "Don't you think his death hurt me? He was my best friend! I have a right to feel sad about it!"

"I LOST HIM TOO!" Will shouted, and Nico flinched. "Look at me, Nico. Look at me." Nico raised his eyes to meet Will's, and they were shining with tears. "How do you think it felt, to not see you friend in person for months and then find out he died? I couldn't even go to his funeral! I was stuck in a small, gray cell, like every other fucking day before that! Yeah, your pain is valid, but mine is too, so don't you dare try and use Jason as an excuse!" Will shut his eyes as tears rolled down his cheeks. Nico stared at him with tears of his own, horrified.

Coming here was a mistake. "I-I'm sorry," Nico choked out. "I'm so stupid. I didn't mean to use Jason as an excuse, and I'm not trying to make what I did okay. It wasn't. It was a shitty moved and if I could, I'd make it so you never met me in the first place."

"I don't regret it," Will whispered softly after a moment, eyes still closed. "I don't regret meeting you, or what I did to Hades. I don't regret anything that happened between us before I was arrested. I don't regret it, but I wish it didn't happen."

A single tear rolled down Nico's cheek. "Me too," he whispered. "I'll- I'll leave now. I'm sorry I came in the first place." Will made no movement or sound, so he took it as his cue to go. But first. . . "And, Will?" Nico said quietly.

Will opened his eyes, tears shining on his cheeks, and looked at Nico, straight in the eyes. "Yeah?"

"Happy birthday."

fin.

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After three years, it's over. It's been a wonderful ride, and thank you for reading.

ok you caught me

check the date :)