Midnight Coffee (Solangelo AU)

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After Will finished changing his shirt we sat down and started studying, and talking, and sipping on coffee, so the exact same thing we do every day. If he had seen me put my number on the trashed cup he didn't say anything. Either way, it didn't seem to bode well for me. We were studying for only 56 minutes before I heard someone walk in. None other than Piper McLean and her new girlfriend. "Nico, Will, hi!"

I waved to them and Shel waved back. "Hey, Piper was it?" Will was trying to make conversation with the two, which was nice of him considering they're strangers. She nodded a bit and smiled at Will. "And I'm sorry I don't believe we've met before."

"My name's Shel." Will nodded to her with his signature smile.

"Nico, can we talk for a second?" Before I could even say anything she had ahold of my upper arm and was pulling me out of my chair towards the back. "Fantastic!"

"Ok, we're going!" She roped me into the back leaving behind Shel and Will. "You know you really aren't meant to be back here Piper." She just waved me off.

"Dude, remember what you offered with Annie?" I crossed my arms and nodded. I hadn't been that serious about it. "Yeah well, I so so so appreciate you thinking about me like that, but I'm good."

I scoffed and smiled nodding a bit. "Yeah, I kinda figured that out when you showed up with your new girlfriend at dinner."

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Fine date whatever." Piper rolled her eyes at me. "Either way the whole thing with Annabeth was mostly just a joke." She nodded now.

"And I get that but it's still appreciated." I just waved her off and glanced at the open door frame.

"So tell me, what happened between you and Shel exactly?"

I don't think I've ever seen someone go so red. "Well, I mean I knew her at one of the high schools I went to and we knew each other but we weren't quite friends. And then today I was visiting my dad on the reservation and I saw her, and she just looked so freaking pretty Nico I had to say something. So I went up to her and for some reason, she remembered me! I mean me, of all people. So, we swapped numbers, and then I just invited her to dinner; I don't even know what came over me."

I smiled again and held my arms closer to my chest, for safety reasons. "That's great but, you do realize she can hear you right?" I watched her skin go sheet white as all the blood left her. "Dam McLean, I didn't know you could get that pale." She then proceeded to strike me so hard, my arm went numb. I ran out and she was right on my tail. 

Will and Shel were in the same exact positions we had left them so I quickly threw Shel at Piper as a defense mechanism. And it did work. You see they were both so shocked that they were stuck like that for a good 38 seconds which allowed me to get behind the counter and start pouring Piper's simple easy black coffee.

 I made Shel a coffee too and Piper paid for them both without looking at the poor girl. Then they exited and I was left with Will again. But I didn't mind, we had fun together. He left at 3:16 and I went back to doing my work at the counter. 

Now I would love to tell you that the rest of my night was event free but it really wasn't. At 3:18 I got a text from an unknown number and all it said was, 'This is Nico right?' Now I was caught totally off guard by how someone got my number not to mention knew it was mine until I remembered the cup and the coffee.

My heart felt like it was about to leap right out of my chest because that was the only possibility, wasn't it? After three minutes I got the courage to text the number back. 'Yes this is, and who is this?' I didn't want to be wrong ok?

I saw that it was read after only a few seconds and then the typing bubble appeared. 'Sorry, it's Will. I had seen the number you wrote on the cup' I had to sit down. It felt like I was gonna fall through the Earth. He had not only seen the number but saved it and decided to text me after all. 'So why did you write your number on a cup instead of just giving it to me lol'

What a fair and hard-to-answer question. Because I wanted a good story? Because I'm a wimp? Because I'm far too intimidated by attractive guys to actually ask something like that? Probably the last one. 'Why didn't you say anything about it?' I'd prefer to just not answer him.

'Ok fair why'd you give it to me now though?' I felt my hands shaking and I took a deep breath to calm down. If there was a time to put on a mask of confidence, it was now.

'Well I was wondering if you wanted to get together and do something sometime' Don't judge me I've never done this before and I don't know what I'm doing.

I saw his text bubble pop up then disappear then show up again only a couple of seconds later but it felt like an eternity. 'Sorry, I did 'something' last night and I already have plans for 'sometime'' I felt my heart sink into my stomach and I felt like an absolute idiot.

 'But I'd love to take you bowling this Saturday at seven'

I quite literally laughed out loud. "Asshole." I caught myself smiling at the screen as I typed a response. 'Was I not specific enough for you?' I set my phone down for a second and ran my hand through my hair as I just let myself experience pure relief.

My phone went off and I turned it on and unlocked it. 'That and I was referencing That 70s Show but I would love to go on a date with you Nico' Have you ever felt lighter than air and yet heavier than iron all at once? Because if you have then you would know how I felt reading that message because it was amazing to see, yet so scary.

'Ok Saturday at seven it is' My heart was doing summersaults and my head was running so fast that it was just static. This was real. I just got a date with Will. And I don't even know what to do or say or wear, I need help.

Hey guys gals and non-binary pals! How are y'all doing?

Our boys are going on a bowling date!

Honestly, bowling dates rock and no one can convince me otherwise

I loved writing this chapter and I hope you guys love reading it, so let me know what you thought

Have a great day/night!