Found Family (HoO, Mortal AU)

WILL SOLACE

Teaching Nico di Angelo how to drive seemed like a good idea. Turns out, it wasn't. He was.. awful.
"I didn't want to get up this early to drive you to school in your jeep."
"For the last time, di Angelo, I'm giving you lessons for free. You've been practising for a while and driving on the road will be fine,"
"Shouldn't I be learning to drive in like.. a car?"
"Shut up. Just drive. Red lights mean stop."
"I'm not stupid, Solace. I just don't know when to change gears- and all that. I'm not a car guy."

Will took a deep breath. "I'll tell you when to change gears. For now just drive. You don't want your little sister to learn how to drive before you, do you?"
"I honestly don't care."
"Well I do. Frank will be like 'I'm a better teacher than you' and then my ego will be burst."
"So I have to learn to drive to make your massive ego even bigger?" Nico asked.
"Yeah."

He sighed but started driving down the driveway of Will's house- he got left there by Jules-Albert only a few minutes before. Will was trying to teach him to drive while Frank taught Hazel. Neither of them were doing that good.
"Just trust yourself," Will said. "Look, if Percy never crashed while driving then you won't."
"Cause Percy is an idiot?"
"Says the guy who had a crush on him," Will teased, though he knew Nico didn't mind.
He just swatted his arm. "Don't distract the driver."
"I'm sooo sorry. First gear. First gear!"
"Yeah- yeah I know," Nico muttered, changing gear.

Thankfully, Will lived relatively close to the school, so they weren't driving for that long.
"I can't park," Nico complained.
"You can't just stop the jeep in middle of the parking lot."
"Ugh, there's Frank and Hazel. They got here before us."
"I thought you didn't care?"
"I don't. I just want to be better than them."
"Makes sense," Will muttered as Nico tried to park, taking up two parking spaces. He stopped the car.
"There," Nico sighed. "Happy now?"
"That was like- really good. Good job."
Nico gave a small smile. "Thanks. Now let's go."

• • •

The more he tried to stop thinking about Nico di Angelo, the harder it was. If either of them had courage to ask the other out, it'd be so much easier. Although so many people had told Will that Nico clearly liked him, he was still weary. What if he didn't? Will didn't want to risk loosing one of the best friendships he ever had.

• • •

After three classes, four people had already told Will to just ask Nico out. Jason, Rachel, Frank and Percy had all said it. He didn't want to listen though- they wouldn't get it.
"I get it," Jason had said. "Getting with Leo was one of the scariest things to happen to me. I mean- I thought he'd hate me after everything I did. I was afraid of ruining everything, but turns out he liked me, even if I was a dick. But hey, now I've never been happier."
"Look, I understand," Rachel had said. "Reyna and I were just a fake couple when I fell for her. Honestly, I was so scared when I told her how I felt. Now look at us."
"I know how you feel," Frank had said. "Rachel literally had to ask Hazel out for me- wait, I'll ask Nico out for you. No, you don't want me to do that- but seriously, he clearly likes you."
"It's okay to be scared," Percy had said. "Even though deep down I knew how much chemistry Annabeth and I had, it was super scary. But it's worth it."

Okay, maybe they did get it. But still. Their relationships worked out. Their partners liked them back.
"And Nico likes you back." Percy, Rachel, Frank and Jason had also said to him. Okay, they were annoying. Why listen to them?

• • •

"Jules-Albert isn't here yet," Nico said to Hazel at the end of the day while they were standing with their friends. "He's never late."
"Wait, I thought you were driving back home in Will's jeep," Hazel shrugged. "I'm going back to Frank's, so I texted Jules-Albert saying he doesn't need to come today."
He glared at his sister. Will almost swore she seen her laughing with Frank when Nico turned his back.
"Hey, I'm not that bad," Will said. "And you're getting good at driving."
"Yeah, but I'm tired."
"I'll drive."
"Hazel will get her license first then," Frank shrugged.
"I'll drive," Nico glared at Hazel again.

Will tossed him the keys and got into the passenger seat of his jeep. Nico turned on the engine but didn't start driving.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he sighed. "Long day of annoying people."
"Please tell me you don't mean Octavian-"
"Nah," Nico shook his head. "I mean Leo, Annabeth, Hazel and Reyna."
Will laughed. "Oh, our friends. Trust me, Jason, Percy, Frank and Rachel got on my last nerve today."
He paused. Everyone who annoyed Nico was the boyfriend or girlfriend of everyone who annoyed Will- they didn't- idiots. Had they been saying the same thing to Nico?

"Yeah," Nico replied, his hands on the steering wheel.
"What were they saying?"
"Uhm- doesn't matter."
"Right."
Nico still didn't drive. "They were just- saying stupid unrealistic things."
"Yeah- they always do."
"Things that could never possibly happen."
"You never know," Will shrugged.
"Hah," Nico looked over to Will. It was easy to tell they'd said the same things to Nico as they did to Will.
"Well," Will muttered. "Would you want those things to happen?"
"I-" Nico blinked a few times before looking away from Will. "I better drive."

The drive was mostly silent, Will occasionally telling Nico to change gear or slow down/speed up. Eventually they got back to Nico's house.
"Yeah," he said, turning off the engine.
"Yeah what?"
"Yeah, I want those things to happen. You asked me at the school."
"Twenty minutes ago," Will smiled.
"Well, there's your answer. Yeah."
"So, what are these things?"
"Don't act like you don't know," Nico smiled and that was the only confirmation Will needed.
"So-"
"Stop being so awkward about it."
"Wha-"
"God, they were right," Nico laughed while blushing slightly, which was funny in a cute way. "Just kiss me. I'm sick of waiting, like our friends are."

Will didn't have to be told twice. The second their lips met, the whole world seemed to turn upside down in the best way possible. The kiss didn't last longer than a few seconds, but he was grinning like an idiot.
"Don't look so happy," Nico said, probably trying to sound natural, but with the red face and sudden stutter, he sounded more embarrassed than natural.
"Okay," Will tried to keep a straight face.
"Driving lesson tomorrow morning?"
"Uhm- if you want. Yeah."
"FaceTime me later."
"Okay," Will nodded.
"I better- go inside."
"Okay."
"See ya."
"Bye."

• • •

As soon as he pulled away from Nico's house, he called Austin.
"Wassup?" Austin said as soon as he answered the phone.
"I'm driving!" Will shouted. "Sorry if you can't hear me. Are you with Kayla?"
"YEAH!" Kayla answered for him.
"GUESS WHAT?"
"What?" They said in unison.
"I KISSED NICO DI ANGELO!"

He was quite literally screaming while driving, hoping no one saw him. The screaming that came through the speaker of his phone was louder.
"THE EMO KID?" Austin shouted.
"FINALLY!"
"It was amazing. Oh my god. AHH! Okay, so he didn't really say anything afterwards. But he told me to FaceTime him later. And uhm- yeah. Oh my god."
"Have you told Lee and Michael? Naomi? Grandma?" Kayla asked.
"No, nobody else knows. You two are the first. Oh my god."
"We have our lips sealed!" Austin promised.

Will heard the door open on the phone.
"What's the screaming about?" The person asked Austin and Kayla.
"Wait," Will said into the phone. "CAL?!"
"Will!" Cal answered, shouting into the speaker.
"Cal! How are you?"
"I'm okay! Why are your cousins screaming?"
"I kissed Nico!" Will replied.
"The emo one?" She asked.
"YEAH, him!"

The four of them screamed together. Even though they were miles and miles away, Will was still right beside his family and friends in Texas. Besides, he had friends and family in New York, too, so it wasn't all bad. He also had a Nico di Angelo in New York, so it was pretty good after all.

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Word Count: 1424

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A/N: I've said it before. Me no good at writing romance.

Anyway. Two chapters only three days apart?!?! (Real not fake) (emotional: Rachael cried)!!! (Not clickbait)

Okay I have to be quiet. Enjoy:)