Seek {Superhero AU} - Ending 1

23: The Richest Man

NPOV

Track: Cemetery, COIN

As soon as Will realizes that he's going to meet my mother—like, really meet her instead of talking to her as a disguised superhero—he gets nervous again. You'd think this would be the least of his worries tonight. I mean, shouldn't nearly getting murdered trump meeting your boyfriend's parents?

Regardless, he's nervous enough that he's sort of wringing his hands as she comes through the door. My mother takes a moment to take off her shoes and coat when she comes through the door, and then she looks up to see us sitting on the couch eating snacks and Kraft mac & cheese. She freezes—she's not used to me having someone over.

"Hi, Mamma," I greet. "This is Will Solace. We were watching Heartstopper."

She glances between us, noticing how close we're sitting. Our knees are touching—she's never seen me sit close to anyone if there's an option to leave plenty of space. She raises her eyebrows. "Niccolò di Angelo, did you get a boyfriend and neglect to tell me?"

My face heats up. I haven't actually had the conversation with Will yet to confirm that we are, in fact, boyfriends. What if he doesn't actually consider us to be boyfriends? Is this more of a casual thing? He did ask me to go to the dance with him...

Will stands up and brushes himself off, offering his hand and a small smile to my mother. "Hello, Ms. di Angelo. I think we've met—I'm Sunburst. And also Will Solace. It's very good to meet the woman responsible for raising such an amazing son." His voice is sort of shaking—what is he worried about? That my mother won't approve? I'd date him anyway.

Maybe it's a southern person thing.

"Oh—Sunburst!" My mother's eyes light up. "I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you! What a handsome boy. Has Niccolò fed you anything other than snacks? That boy—no manners. Here, I'll make you dinner—do you eat spaghetti? I'm sorry I'm not more prepared—somebody failed to tell me that there was company." She shoots me a glare and then turns back to Will, smiling brightly at him. "Wait right here—I'll make you dinner."

Before Will has the chance to say a word, she's hurrying off to the kitchen to make him pasta. I'll have to make him something else at some point; at this rate, he's going to believe that we only ever eat pasta.

As soon as she's gone, Will turns on his heel, his face full of concern. "Did that go well? Please tell me that went well. Do you think she likes me, or is the dinner just to be polite? I should have brought a gift for the house—cookies or something. I'm a terrible guest—"

"Will," I say, hands up like I'm warding off his concerns. "She still loves you because you saved my life. I'm pretty sure you could have screamed at her and she still would tell you you're a hero."

He gulps and runs a hand through his hair. Then he says, "Right. Okay. So you think she likes me, then? That's a relief." He pauses. "She called you Niccolò."

I shrug. "Yeah, Nico is a nickname. Niccolò is a bit of a mouthful, and sometimes Americans find it difficult to spell or pronounce. Nico is easier."

"Niccolò," Will repeats. "I like it."

I don't tell him that only my mother calls me Niccolò because, if I'm being entirely honest, I like the way it sounds coming out of his mouth. He's got a bit of a southern accent, and it drags out the vowels. Sometimes he manages to cover it up, but it comes out again when he says my name.

When the spaghetti is finished, Will and I join my mother in the kitchen for dinner. My mother and Will get along really well, actually—they mostly talk about music. Will talks about how his mother dreamed of becoming a professional musician, and she had taught him how to play the guitar and piano. My mother asks him for his opinions of the classics. By the end of the meal, Will looks significantly less nervous about being around my mother. I guess her interest in music helped; they have something in common.