solangelo oneshots

Awkward reunion thing

A/N: so part of the conversation in this is based off a conversation I had with a classmate a few weeks ago. She was playing piano and I called her talented, and she denied it, so I started listing her good qualities (she's good at music, drama, dance and really intelligent and creative and pretty) and she said that I'm really talented too, and I just went "see? You're really nice too!" And she's been putting herself down and I think she has self esteem issues and I'm just like,,,,,, you're so brilliant,,,,,, don't?????? But anyway I should stop now.

NPOV:

"Can you get me a drink please, Nico?" My dad asks me, handing me some money. I nod, getting to my feet and walking to the bar on the other side of the crowded room. The bright lights and music is starting to give me a headache.

"Can I have a lemonade and a beer, please?" I have to shout to be heard. As the bartender tries to get my request as long with about five others, I count the money in my hand again.

I don't like parties. I'm not social, and loud music hurts my head. It's my dad's friend's birthday party, so I know barely anyone. I used to get along with the guy's relative's kids, but most of them stay at home now.

"Nico?" A voice asks beside me. I turn and stumble back a little bit when my face almost collides with somebody's chest. I look up and my eyes are instantly drawn to the person's sky blue eyes. "Oh my god, I haven't seen you in years!" The person exclaims.

My vision zooms out and my jaw drops. I recognise him easily: it's Will. We don't know each other well, but when we were younger we always seemed to meet at parties like these. We would chase each other around until we got tired, then we would find some chairs as far from the dance floor as we could get and sit together, almost asleep.

"You're still taller than me!" Is the first thing I say, earning a laugh.
"Everybody is taller than you."
"Here you go." The bartender hands me my drinks. I slide him the money then start walking back to my table. Will follows me.
"I should slap you for that." I grumble.
"You're still small, you're still angry about being small... You haven't changed a bit." Will chuckles. I hand my dad his beer, take a sip of lemonade, then place my glass on the table and turn to look at Will properly.

Puberty has been kind to him. He's almost six feet tall and well built. He looks handsome, his bright blue eyes and soft-looking lips being the features I can't stop looking at. He seems to have even more freckles than he did when he was younger, which I had thought impossible.
"You... You've changed a lot." I tell him. He grins.
"I bet I can still beat you in a dance battle, though."
"Your probably can," I agree.
"Wanna try anyway?"
"Not really, no."

Will's smile falls.
"Why not?"
"I'm getting dizzy." I admit. "I need some fresh air."
"Follow me, there's a balcony near my table." He takes my hand and leads me to a table near the corner of the room. He opens a door near the table and leads me out onto a balcony overlooking a wide, empty field which is barely illuminated by the string of golden fairy lights wound around the balcony railing and a fluorescent yellow light above the door.

There are a few people huddled up in one corner, smoking, so I cover my mouth and nose and walk as far away as I can.
"Smoke gives me a headache." I explain.
"And parties do, too?" Will asks.
"Loud music and bright lights."
"Ah." Will leans over the balcony, and I do the same.
"You still have asthma, too?" He asks. I nod.
"And hay-fever."

"You clearly pulled the short straw." Will chuckles.
"And you clearly pulled all the long ones." I reply.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, look at you!" I exclaim. "You seem perfectly healthy, and you're really attractive-"
"You find me attractive?" Will says.
"Of course I do." I roll my eyes, then realise what I said. Will beams at me as I turn bright red, hoping the dim light will obscure my blushing.
"Aw, you're blushing!" Will points out.
"I'm just flushed." I fan my face but it stubbornly remains hot and no doubt red.
"Sure you are." Will smiles endearingly.

The smokers go back into the party as Will and I lapse into silence. I look out at the field, enjoying the peace.

"You're attractive too, you know." Will says quietly. I look at him in surprise. He's looking out over the field, avoiding looking at me.
"Thanks, but I'm really not." I laugh quietly.
"You are." Will insists. "I don't know you well enough to judge your personality, but you look really good." He still won't look at me.
"How?" I challenge him.
"Your eyes-"
"Are boring." I finish for him.

"No." He turns to face me. "Your eyes are beautiful."
"They're brown."
"So? Brown is a beautiful colour!"
"No, blue is. Green is. Literally every ew colour except brown is beautiful. They're compared to precious gems: sapphires, emeralds, silver and gold. The ocean, nature, fierce storms or calm skies. My eyes are the colour of dirt."
"Your eyes are the colour of earth." Will says. "Without earth, those precious gems wouldn't even form, and without the earth, nature wouldn't be able to grow. Your eyes are like dark, rich chocolate. Like black holes I could get lost in. And they're beautiful."

I stare at him for a while, unable to speak. Finally I manage,
"That's so poetic." Will blushes and turns away from me.
"I'm just sick of people putting themselves down, y'know?" He leans over the balcony, handing his head and looking straight down. "Especially beautiful people. I don't understand how they don't see how amazing they are. How much they've got going for them. They make the rest of us feel plain anyway, and then they put themselves down and... It just makes us feel worse. I mean, if a beautiful person sees themselves as ugly, then how must ordinary people like me look to them? How does that make me feel?"

"Whoa, did you just call yourself ordinary?" I ask, shocked. "Will, you're incredible! You're literally doing what you're accusing others of doing!"
"Well you're beautiful, too, Nico." Will insists, pushing away from the balcony and turning to face me. He's so close, I can see each freckle individually. I've always been jealous of freckles and birthmarks. I'm a plain canvas while people like Will are detailed artwork which can never be perfectly replicated again. He's one in a million- no, one in seven billion- and I'm... Well, I'm just me.

Trying not to get flustered, I go to stutter an excuse, but Will brushes his lips against mine before I can speak. It's barely even a kiss, but the closeness and tenderness of the action makes my heart race anyway.

Will looks at me, his teeth tugging at his lip, eyes full of worry. I lick my dry lips and offer him a shy smile, suddenly nervous.
"Uh... Should I apologise?" Will asks anxiously. I shake my head, then pull my phone from my pocket.
"Can I have your number?" Will's eyes light up.
"Uh, sure." He fumbles in his pocket, then pulls a face.
"I left my phone inside, I'll just go and get it." He opens the door, letting in a blast of loud music out I to the cool night air, then grabs his phone and rejoins me. We exchange numbers, then Will shoves his phone I to his pocket and wipes his palms on his legs nervously.

"Could I... Um..." He rubs the back of his neck and blushes, averting his eyes. "Could we... Maybe... Kiss again? If you-" Instead of replying, I just pull him closer and press a gentle kiss to his lips. I pull away a few seconds later and smile at Will. He smiles back, then pulls me into another kiss.