Just wanted to remind everyone; Monday next week will be the absolute last day I will be online for an entire week.

If you have questions/concerns or story recs or anything you want to send me, go ahead and do that now, please!!

Oh, and this is the chapter where things really pick up.

Hope you like it!!

Anyhoodles,

Enjoy!!

- Nico_Solace

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

»»Will««

We're almost done with the paper.

Have been for three days now. We're working on the conclusion and I really don't want to stop hanging out with the gorgeous person known as Nico di Angelo.

It took less time than I thought to get my essay up to par. A total of five days; not even a full week.

I spent every day after school at Nico's working on the essay and would usually hang out for a bit when we were done just because, well, Nico is amazing.

His inky black hair is long and thick. The way he pushes it behind his ear when it falls in his face is extremely destracting and I have found myself staring more and more. His milky skin colors easily when he gets flustered or embarrassed. When he laughs, his whole face scrunched in the most adorable way and his tongue presses to the back of his teeth; he clutches at his stomach and does this little roll thing with his body. He doesn't do it often and his laugh usually only appears for Hazel, but it's literally the cutest thing I've ever seen.

I've learned more about Nico these past five days than most people learn after years of knowing him.

The more time we spend together, the more infatuated, I find myself become.

It's kind of destressing; falling for a boy you can't have.

You see, I'm still, technically, 'in the closet' about the fact that I'm bisexual. Everyone at the school thinks I'm 100% straight, even Nico. Until I come out, he's pretty much unattainable. He probably doesn't even look at me like that, though.

---

Josie has taken to be very handsy about it. Apparently she's noticed my attraction to Nico and doesn't like it much at all.

Take now, for instance. We're sitting at lunch and Josie is in my lap, literally, with a glare focused on Nico every few minutes.

I was sitting in my usual seat with the football team and other athletes when she and the other cheerleaders came over.

I hadn't even realized I had been staring across the cafeteria at Nico at the time, until she walked in front of my line of sight, that sickenly sweet, lip-glossed smile across her lips.

So now, she's on my lap, hands wrapped around my neck, trying to get me to laugh at her stories.

Nico has obviously noticed the way Josie is sitting and he doesn't seem very happy about it either. He has a cold look on his face and he keeps glancing hatefully at Josie with his hands balled. His obsedian eyes are locked on the positioning of her hands and he hasn't looked away since she sat down.

I don't know what to make of that.

"Babe," Josie is saying, trying to regain my attention. "Babe, seriously."

"What?" I blink at her.

"You didn't hear anything I just said, did you?"

I shake my head. "No." My eyes wander again over to Nico.

"Oh my God! Could you stop staring at him for five fucking minutes to at least listen to what I'm saying?" She barks.

"Sorry, Josie." I try to focus on her and she seems at least a little satisfied.

She starts rambling again; retelling some story about the girls they cut during cheerleading tryouts. She goes on and on, a cruel smile across those disgusting cherry lips. Honestly, I stopped listen as soon as she said "okay" in that annoying valley-girl voice of hers.

"Isn't that hilarious, Will?" She says, laughing with her head thrown back.

I force out a laugh and agree numbly with her.

She flings herself into another story that I don't even attempt to listen to, trying to catch Nico's eye.

Suddenly, a sharp pain runs through my neck.

"Ow! What the fuck?" I yell, pushing Josie off me.

She bit me. She bit my damn neck.

I rub the spot and pull my hand back. Luckily, there isn't any blood.

I hear a crash and suddenly, there's a poor freshman boy sprawled on the ground and an angry Nico stalking out of the cafeteria.

Josie looks oddly pleased with herself.

"What the hell, Josie!" I yell.

"He was stealing your attention. It's time he learned who you belong to."

"Who I-- ? It sure as fuck isn't you, you stupid bitch!" I get up and leave cafeteria out the same side door Nico left from.

---

I walk off to the bathroom and nervously inspect my neck. There's definitely a nice purple mark there from her teeth.

Groaning angrily, I press my finger to it and wince.

Yep, that definitely hurts.

---

"Will!" Mr. Dynard calls as I walk toward the door. "Stay back for a minute."

Nico had stopped when I did, so I turn to him and give him a look. "Meet you out there."

"I'll be waiting." He sighs. "Bye, Mr. Dynard."

"Bye, Nico." He calls to Nico.

Turning back to me, he waits for the classroom to empty before speaking again.

"How is the tutoring with Nico going?" He asks once the door closes for the last time.

"Good. We're actually almost done. Once today is over, I'll be able to type and print the paper then hand it in."

"That's great! No complication or anything?"

"Unless me being called a stupid idiot seven or eight times a minute is a complication, I'd say no." I smirk.

Mr. Dynard laughs. "Good, good. I'm glad you were able to get this done, Will. I'm really proud of you."

"Thanks." I say, my cheeks heating slightly at the praise.

"Now, you better not keep your man waiting."

"He isn't 'my man', he's just doing you a favor." I turn an furious crimson color at the suggestion.

He hums. "I would say otherwise, if the doodles in his notebook during work time are anything to go off of."

Blushing even harder, I leave the classroom in search for Nico and his stupid motorcycle.

---

"What did Mr. Dynard want, before we left?" Nico asks casually as I write a few things for my conclusion.

"Oh, um, he was just, uh, making sure things weren't too bad. Y'know, with the whole us working together thing. Since, like, you, um, hate me or, uh, whatever."

He mumbles something that I don't quite catch.

"Wh-"

"He definitely doesn't hate you." Hazel laughs hysterically before I can ask Nico to repeat himself.

"Hazel." Nico bites out, warning in his tone.

"What? I didn't say anything!" She plays innocent.

"Like hell you didn't!" He glares.

"Whatever, Neeks. Go back to your silly paper. I just wanted a drink." She sulks.

Hazel doesn't say another word, retreating back into her bedroom with a can of Sprite.

"Where we're we?" Nico says, playing as if that didn't just happen.

"Um... I was telling you about my conversation with Mr. Dynard."

"Right."

---

"So I wrote that. I don't know if it has any relevance to the essay... I was kinda lost on what to write." I say sheepishly, handing over my conclusion.

Nico is leaning against my shoulder again, chin hooked over it.

After scanning the paragraph, Nico looks up in surprise.

"This is awesome, Will!"

It hits me that that's the first time he's called me by my first name. He usually calls me Solace or idiot or something along those lines.

I shrink in on myself from the realization and praise, mildly embarrassed.

"Um, thanks." I whisper, looking at my hands.

Eagerly, he grabs my hand and shakes it. "Seriously, this is perfect. I didn't know you had it in you."

Turning my head and leaning back some to look at him clearly, I smile. My eyes do that stupid thing again where they unintentionally dart down to stare at his full, silky-looking, pink lips. I lean in a bit and he does the same.

His eyes look to my lips as he leans closer yet again. His tongue darts out and runs hungrily over his own lips, still staring between mine and my eyes. Then, both of our eyes are falling shut and our lips are pressing together.

There's an explosion of color behind my eyes and I feel light headed. This is actually happening. Nico di Angelo, the guy I've had a crush on for three years, is kissing me.

Just as I expected, his lips are soft, slightly slick from our spit.

As we kiss, I memorize every feeling, every noise. His hands wrapping around my neck, mine going to his waist, the mild burn on my scalp from his fingers scrapping across it and occationally tugging my hair.

Before I know what's happening, Nico is straddling my lap, thighs trapping me.

I let out a deep whimper when his lips leave mine to press against my neck. Right against the mark Josie left on me earlier. He smiles against the skin and sucks his own mark on top of hers.

"Mine." I hear. It's barely there, like a breath not meant to be breathed.

When I groan again, he moves his lips up my neck and back onto mine.

He forcefully pushes me back so I'm resting against the couch comfortably. Then, his tongue prods at my mouth, asking for entrance, which I grant immediately.

His tongue maps out my mouth curiously. It learns every groove and bump at the roof, feels the cuts on the inside of my cheeks from nervous chewing, memorizes the curve of my teeth.

Quickly, our tongues begin dancing around each other for dominance while our lips continue to move against each other. After a moment, I beat him and begin controlling the kiss; the intensity, the movement, where this is leading.

Everything is going perfectly and I couldn't be--

"What the crap?!" Hazel's shrill voice cuts through my thoughts.

Nico quickly pulls away from me and scrambles off of my lap.

"Um-" he starts, just for his sister to cut him off.

"I don't want to know!" She says, eyes closing and hands flying up. "Just- don't you have a paper to be working on?"

I clear my throat awkwardly. "Um... Maybe I should go."

"No." Nico says frantically, grabbing my hand. "Stay. Please."

"Um, no. Thanks, but I don't think that's the best idea." I begin packing my stuff.

He doesn't ask me to stay again, noticing my obvious discomfort. I finish packing my stuff and pull out the keys to my car.

"I'll see you at school Monday, Nico." I say, looking at the ground as I walk out.

Right as I open the door, a hand wraps itself around my wrist again. Its slinder and cold, but I don't pull away.

"I can't- I can't let you leave without this." He whipsers.

Curiously, I turn to see what it is.

He presses one last, chaste kiss to my lips and releases me. "See you Monday."