Well I heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
But you donât really care for music, do you?
Will enjoyed music. He really did. It wasnât his passion, though. He wanted to be a doctor. He loved to help people, and he was a complete science nerd. But he enjoyed nights like this where he would get a gig at his favorite cafe. He grew up playing the guitar, and his voice was good too. He met the owner through one of his friends - Lou Ellen - who was the ownerâs niece. Josh, the owner, had given the job to Will back in high school, but now that he was working at the hospital, 10 years or so later, he came to fill in only when they couldnât fund anyone to sing.
As he was on the stage singing, a boy - no more than 5â7â, olive skinned, dark hair, and eyes so dark, Will couldnât decide if they were black, dark brown, or dark blue from this distance - Â walked in. He was the most handsome guy he had ever seen. He had been so mesmerized by the dark-haired beauty, he almost forgot to keep playing. Luckily, he had just started the intro of the song. He shook his head once to get himself out the trance he had gone into. Â He couldnât think like that. He was dating Paolo. He began singing.
Halfway through the song, Will and the brunet from before made eye contact. In Willâs head, the world froze for a few seconds, but this time he didnât lose focus of the song.
After the show, he walked over to the bar where Lou Ellen was temporarily working while she was on break. âHonestly, Lou, I donât understand why you work during your vacation.â He said as he sat on one of the bar stools.
âFor the same reason you work here your free nights, Solace. Extra money.â She said as she wiped the counter.
âActually, I do this because I enjoy it.â This caused Lou to roll her eyes.
âAnd yet you majored in medicine.â
Will shakes his head. âMusicâs not my thing. Itâs just a hobby.â
She chuckles. âAre you gonna order something, or am I gonna have to kick you out of my bar?â
âItâs your uncleâs bar.â Lou glared at him. âIâll take a mimosa.â He said and quickly added. âVirgin.â
âSuch a pussy.â Lou Ellen called out as she started on the drink.
âLou, you know I donât swing that way.â She simply gave him the middle finger and handed him his drink.
Will started drinking his mimosa when a voice from his left asked Lou Ellen for a shot of fireball. He turned and saw the guy from earlier sitting right next to him. The brunet looked glanced at him as Lou fixed up the fireball.
âYouâre the singer, right?â The guy asked. Will could only nod, not trusting his voice not to crack. âI liked your performance. âHallelujahâ is one of my favorite songs.â
âIâd be offended if it wasnât.â Will answered. âThat song is a classic.â
âDefinitely.â The guy nodded. âIâm Nico, by the way.â Nico stuck his hand out for Will to shake.
âIâm Will. Itâs nice to meet you.â
They started talking about music, then bands, then tv shows and movies, and they kept talking and talking, finding out they had a lot more things in common than they wouldâve originally thought. They were having such a good time, they didnât realize they were the only two people left until Lou Ellen basically kicked them out. It was honestly the most fun Will had had in a while.
âHey, Nico, can I have your phone number? I had a lot of fun, and Iâd love to do this again.â Will asked astray were about to part ways.
âLook, Will, youâre really sweet. But I donât date.â Nico frowned.
âOh,â Will blushed realizing how that had sounded. âIâm sorry. I didnât mean it like that. I meant it in a completely platonic way. I have a boyfriend.â
âOh.â Nico blushed. âWell then, I guess itâs no harm if I give you my number.â
Will grinned as Nico scribbled down his phone number on Willâs with a Sharpie. He texted Nico as soon as he got home.
Well it goes like this: the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah [x4]
Needless to say, Nico and Will quickly became close friends. They knew everything about one another. They hung out almost if not every day. They had even made a small group of friends together, so itâs not a all like dating. Many times they were accompanied by Lou Ellen, Cecil Markowitz, Valentina Diaz, - who Will had introduced to Nico - Chiara Benvenuti, Damien White, and Austin Lake - who he had introduced to Will.
It was one late night, though, that things started to change. At least from Nicoâs part. Will had called him at 3:00 a.m. in the morning sobbing into the phone. âHello?â Nico answered sleepily. He was met by a sob.
âN-NicoâŚ. can y-you come o-over?â Will said into the phone between sobs. Nico sat up on his bed.
âWill? Whatâs wrong?â He asked worriedly.
âP-PaoloâŚâ His sobbing got too bad, and Nico couldnât understand a word he was saying.
âWill, what happened? What did he do? Did he hurt you?â He asked as he got up and pulled a sweatshirt and some shoes on.
âH-He c-cheat-ted on m-meâŚâ Will cried. Nicoâs heart burnt with rage. That stronzo.
âIâm on my way.â Nico hung up as he got into his car and drove to Willâs house. When he got there, he knocked loudly on the door. When Will opened the door, his heart broke. His best friend was wearing sweatpants and an oversized sweatshirt, - heâd bought from amazon last month, forgetting to check the size. The seller refused to change the size. Nico had made fun of him for not checking the size because âCome on, William, how did you not check the size? Youâre lucky it fits you.â - his eyes were blotchy and red, and his cheeks were tear stained. âOh, Will.â He said as he pulled the taller boy into a hug. Willâs hands automatically wrapped around his waist as he sobbed into his shoulder. Nico rubbed Willâs back soothingly. He pulled Will inside, closing the door behind him and made his best friend sit on the couch while he went to the the kitchen to make him some tea. He handed the cup to Will, who carefully took sip from it.
Nico sat next to Will on the couch and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Will snuggled up to him and said, âI canât believe he did that to me.â
Nicoâs heart fluttered. âHeâs an asshole, Will. Youâre an amazing guy, and if he canât see that, heâs not worth it.â
Will nods. âI know, but it still hurt, you know? I thought he loved me.â
Nico sighs. âWillâŚ. love doesnât exist. I wish I could tell you other wise because if thereâs one person who deserves love, thatâd be you, but loveâŚâ He trails off shaking his head.
Will sits up and looks at Nico with those vibrant blue eyes that are generally dancing with mischief, but in this moment, they look hurt, sad and hopeful. âThatâs not true, Neeks. I know Iâll find the love of my life one day, and so will you.â
Nico wanted nothing more than reach reach out and dry Willâs tears, to pull him close and kiss him, to let all his walls down, to love and protect him. But he didnât. He just stared at Will until he snuggled back up to Nico. When Will fell asleep, he stared again, analyzing all his features, taking him in as much as he could, trying to ease the confusion that arose in the back of his mind. He couldnât be in love with Will. Heâd never see Nico in that way. Love didnât exist either way, right? He wasnât so sure anymore.
Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
* * *
Ever since that night, Will was confused about many thing. What did he feel for Nico? Was love even real? Of course it was! Maybe. But that didnât matter right now.
Will tugged at Nicoâs arm. âNeeks, pleeeaaaassseee.â He begged for the billionth time.
âWiiiiillllllll,â Nico whined. âYou know I hate parties.â
âPleeeaaasseee?â He gave him puppy eyes, knowing he could convince Nico to do almost anything with that face. âJust an hour?â
Nico sighed exaggeratedly. âFiiinneee.â He groaned. âBut you better not leave my side.â
Will grins triumphantly. âWouldnât dream of it.â
lLater that night, Will went to pick up Nico, so they could go to the party together. When he got to Nicoâs apartment building, Will saw him standing on his balcony. The moonlight was shining on him in, making his olive skin shine and his eyes seem blue, even though they were brown (Will had decided this after spending hours upon hours staring at them.) Will was mesmerized by Nicoâs beauty once again. âRomeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?â He called out to Nico jokingly.
Nico looked down at Will and smile. He couldâve even sworn he saw him blush, but that was probably just wishful thinking. âIâll be down in a second, Solace.â Nico called back and disappeared into his apartment. Will waited for him him leaning against his car, grinning. Nico came out the door and hugged Will, who immediately put his arms around Nicoâs waist.
âHey, Neeks.â He greeted.
âReady to go, William?â
Will let got of Nico and opened the car door for him. âLet us go.â
The party was definitely overcrowded. You could barely move without pushing someone or stepping on their foot. Nico and Will held hands, not wanting to lose each other on this immense house - which Will doesnât even remember who it belongs to. They walked around for a couple of minutes looking for the perfect place to enjoy the party. Somehow, they got to a cute, little balcony on the second floor. It was completely empty if you didnât count the one guy who was passed out on a rocking chair in the corner - probably got too high or to drunk. Will didnât really care. Both of them walked up to the very edge, and Nico leaned on his elbows on the security bar. Will did the same, but instead of looking out like Nico was, he had his back to the city lights as he leaned back on his elbows and admired Nico. The moonlight shone on him like back at his apartment building, only now it was enhanced by the city lights of the townâs center. It was in that moment - in that windy night, on that small balcony, with a fuck boy passed out on the corner completely forgotten by everyone - that Will realized he was in love with Nico.
She tied you to her kitchen chair
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
Hallelujah [x4]
After a bit of them standing in the balcony quietly, each lost in their thoughts, Will offered to go get them some drinks. Nico happily complied. He could use some alone time. Will walked back into the house, leaving Nico alone with his thoughts. He sighed. Heâd never believed in love, but he was sure whatever he had for Will was more than a crush, and that didnât set well with him. He wanted to hurl and then have the earth swallow him, but none of that happened.
Will retuned with a six-pack of beers which they quickly downed as they stroke up convention about the simplest things.
âNico?â Will said all of a sudden.
âYeah?â Nico looked at him curiously, he was a little past tipsy but not quite drunk.
âCan I do something?â
âYou can do a lot of things, Solace. Youâll have to be more specific.â
âI wanna try something with you. If youâll allow it.â
âIâd sure hope so.â Will frowned.
âOkay.â Nico said. âTry whatever you want.â
In that moment, Will cupped Nicoâs face and pecked his lips. He was in shock for a second, but as soon as his instincts kicked in, he had Will pushed up against a wall and kissed him intensely. He does not remember when the clothes became to heavy. Or when Will had suggested to leave the party and continue somewhere more private. He was completely unaware that they got to Willâs house in record time. He doesnât remember being pushed against the door, and being basically naked by the time they got to the room. He forgot how Will pushed him on bed, and how he took everything from Nico while making sure he felt good as well. What he remembers is a warm feeling in his chest and then bliss and then warmth and then exhaustion. He remembers waking up cuddled up to Will, who let out kitten-like snores, naked, and then freaking out. And then, as quietly as possible, fleeing the scene.
Baby Iâve been here before
Iâve seen this room and Iâve walked this floor (you know)
I used to live alone before I knew you
Ever since that night, he had been avoiding Will. He never took his calls. He stopped going to the places where they would meet. He answered his text with short cutting answers like: canât talk right now. Or: sorry. Busy. He felt horrible for doing this, but itâd be better this way. Love didnât exist, and if it did, it wasnât for him. Will deserved love, though. He knew Will would be better off with someone else. Someone less broken and insecure. He just couldnât be in love. Last time he fell in love, he got hurt. He didnât want either of them to have to experience that again. But cazzo, for more that he tried and tried, he couldnât stop loving him, and that scared him to no end. He felt stupid. Will probably wouldnât even want him anymore either way.
He jumped a bit as his phone vibrated on his kitchen countertop next to him. He checked it, only to find a text from Will.
I know youâre avoiding me. We need to talk. I donât care if youâre busy. Meet me at the Starbucks near the hospital in half an hour. I swear if youâre not there, di Angelo, Iâll personally go get you to your apartment and drag you there. It said. Nico sighed. He guessed he had no other option. Heâd go and talk to Will like a civilized person, sparing both of them the embarrassment. He grabbed his coat and started walking to Starbucks.
And Iâve seen your flag on the marble arch
And love is not a victory march
Itâs a cold and itâs a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah [x4]
To say Will was nervous was an understatement. He felt like heâd pee his pants as soon as he saw Nico sitting on their usual table at Starbucks. He silently approached Nico and sat in front of him. There was an awkward silence hanging in between them. Neither knew what to do or say. Will was resisting the urge to kiss Nico because even if he didnât remember the whole night, he did remember how good it felt to be with him in that way. He had wanted something more between them for longer than he was willing to admit.
Finally, Nico broke the ice. âHere,â he handed Will a coffee cup. âI got your usual order.â
Will took a sip. âThank you.â He paused for a bit, maybe a minute or so. âIâm sorry. I know you donât date and all. It was inappropriate of me to start such thing. Itâs okay if you donât see me in that way, but Iâd be really happy if we could still be friends.â
Nico looked at Will nervously. âWill⌠I think Iâm in love with you butâŚ. Iâm scared⌠I donât want to hurt you⌠or get hurt.â
Will hesitantly took Nicoâs hand. âItâs okay to be scared, Neeks. I know what it feels to have your heart broken, but Iâd never hurt you. And Iâm willing to take the risk of giving you my heart⌠just, give me a chance? Please?â
Nico gaped at him and thought about it for a minute. Then, the brunet intertwined their fingers and nodded. âI⌠Okay. One chance.â
Will beamed at him. âThank you. I promise you wonât regret this.â
Their first date was pretty mundane, but Will guesses thatâs what made it so special. They had gone to the movies to watch a cheesy romantic comedy he doesnât even remember the name of. He remembers holding Nicoâs hand all through the show. He remembers leaning over to whisper jokes about the characters to Nico. He remembers Nico responding with snarky remarks about the characters or Will himself. This had him smiling like crazy. The date seemed so normal, so natural, so much like what they usually did, and Will knew this - Â being in love with Nico - Â was just right.
After the movie, they went to get some ice creams. Nico insisted on paying since Will had already payed back at the movie theater. Will agreed reluctantly, but only when Nico said his full name - thereâs nothing he found scarier than Nico di Angelo looking straight into his eyes and saying, âWilliam Phoenix Solace, I will pay for the ice creams even if I have to break your credit card in half.â to which he replied with, âIâm regretting telling you my middle so much.â
After that, Will had taken Nico back home. He parked that car in front of his apartment building and turned to Nico. âSo⌠was it worth it?â
Nico smiled at him. âDefinitely. We should do it again some time.â
âOh, you bet we will.â He grinned and kissed Nicoâs hand, which he hadnât let go of since he had enough courage to take it at the movies.
He leaned over and hugged Will. âThank you.â He whispered in his ear.
Will nodded. âAnything for you.â He pulled away, just enough so that he could look at Nicoâs face before pulling him into a kiss. This kiss was different from the ones theyâd had the night of the party. This kiss, they were both well aware of. Neither had had a single drop of alcohol. Nicoâs mouth tasted like his favorite ice cream, mint. Will was sure his tasted like chocolate chip cookie dough. Through this kiss, Will tried to convey all of his love for Nico. He tried to reassure him he wouldnât leave, that he wouldnât break heart, that he could trust him. Nico seemed to be trying to show he believed Will, that he loved him too, that he needed him.
They pulled away when they were about to pass out from the lack of air. They leaned their foreheads together and just looked deeply into each otherâs eyes. They stayed like that for God-knows-how-long before Nico gave Will one last quick kiss and left the car with a, âSee ya, Solace.â
Will drove home with a smile on his face.
There was a time when you let me know
Whatâs really going on below
But now you never show that to me, do you?
From that point on, they only grew closer. Their friends were incredibly happy for them. Lou Ellen just gave them an exaggerated Finally. Kayla simply congratulated them. Chiara made a remark in Italian that had Nico blushing bright red. Austin was surprised they hadnât realized they had feelings for each other sooner. Cecil said, âWait, you two werenât dating already?â
All was fine and dandy until on the Friday before their three month anniversary. They had gone out on a date to the Olive Garden. Will had make Nico leave his wallet at home to make sure heâd be the one paying the bill. Nico had ordered chicken Alfredo, and he had gotten some lasagna. Dinner was going just fine. They were joking around, holding hands, smiling at each other, and stealing little kisses every now and again. That was until the waiter they had had to leave, so a new one came by.
The new waiter had immediately started flirting with Will, bluntly and blatantly, absolutely uncaring that he was still holding Nicoâs hand. Nico made glared at the waiter, and Will did everything in his power to politely tell the waiter to fuck the hell off. Needless to say, he didnât leave a great tip behind. After that, he drove Nico home where the boy gave him a half hearted kiss before getting out of the car and into his apartment. Will sighed.
Ever since that night, Nico had been acting distant. He would only hold Willâs hand for long enough to not seem harsh when he pulled away. He would only peck Willâs lips. His hugs wouldnât linger as much as they usually did. To anyone who didnât know him as well as Will, this all would have gone under the radar. But Will knew Nico better than anyone, so he noticed all these little things that nobody else wouldâve noticed. All this made Will think that Nico was getting ready to break up with him, but then he remembered how Nico had gotten his heart broken.
He told Will the story about what made him how he was when they met about a month or so after they started dating. He told him all about Percy, and how, while they dated,everything seemed so wonderful. How they had been friends for years before they got together. But one day, percy met this cute girl named Annabeth and dumped Nico for her in less than a heartbeat. Suddenly, Will understood Nicoâs peculiar behavior, and why it had started. He asked Nico to meet him at the park - a favorite place of both of them to go on dates - in fifteen minutes. Nico said heâd be there, and Will
started off to the park.
But remember when I moved in you
And the holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah
Hallelujah [x4]
When Will got to the park, Nico was waiting for him at the bench they usually met up at. His adorable boyfriend was nervously fidgeting with the skull ring Bianca had given him years ago. Will wondered how it still fit him, but it made Nico happy, so Will had no complaints. Will sat next to Nico and took his hand in an attempt to calm the brunetâs nerves.
âHey, angel.â Will greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.
âHiâŚâ Nico answered. He had a far away look in his eyes.
Will sighed. âNico, we need to talk ~ â A tear slipped from Nicoâs eye. âBaby, whatâs wrong?â Will asked worriedly.
âYouâre⌠youâre breaking up with me, arenât you? I shouldâve seen it coming. I shouldâve known. I ~ â
Will cut him off. âWhat? No! Neeks, thatâs not it at all!â
âYouâre not?â Nico asked, looking at Will with hopeful eyes.
âOf course not!â He pulled Nico into his arms. âBut I did notice you had been acting a little⌠insecure since that waiter flirted with me. I just wanted to reassure you that Iâd never leave you. Okay, my love?â
Nico nodded and held on to the back of his shirt as if his life depended on it, relieved he wasnât going to get his heart broken again.
Maybe thereâs a God above
All Iâve ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
Love doesnât exist, Nico once thought, but that was way before he met Will. It was after it was Bianca and him against the world, but then there was no Bianca. And little after it was Percy and him against all odds, but then Percy was gone too. He had ran off with some blonde chick Nico didnât have the heart or energy to hate anymore. After that, Nico became bitter. He had isolated himself for years. Heâd have fling with boys and girls equally, even if he had always know he was gay. He didnât care to get anything more than sex from them, so he wasnât really picky on what would get him off most of the time.
But then, Will came around, and suddenly, Nicoâs world had taken a 180Âş turn. He had taught Nico how to love again. Will loved Nico with all his heart, and Nico knew this. The feeling was mutual, and it was beautiful. Suddenly, him-and-Bianca-against-the-world and Percy-and-him-against-all-odds didnât seem to matter anymore. He would always miss Bianca, and heâd always have the memories of Percy. But he had Will now, and thatâs all heâd ever need.
And itâs not a cry that you hear at night
Itâs not somebody whoâs seen the light
Itâs a cold and itâs a broken Hallelujah
In the end, Nico couldnât say he was surprised to be where he was right now. He was glad to be here, though. He was standing at the alter in front of Will, gazing at his infinitely blue eyes, their hands clasped together tightly. They both say their vows and I-dos. Then they kissed. The kiss almost escalated into something more, but they both held back. There were people around, but as soon as they were alone in their hotel room, they made love all through the night. It was the most wonderful night of his life, and Nico Solace-di Angelo could finally say he was a happy man.
https://www.wattpad.com/370141756-solangelo-one-shots-hallelujah
A/N: This one shot is based on the song Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley