Chapter Text
Will sat in a cheap plastic chair outside the head counselor's office at Olympus's Home for At-Risk Youths. Or, as his best friend Lou Ellen called it, jail-lite for bad kids. Will was not a bad kid, not by a long shot. He was on the honor roll, did volunteer work, and wanted to be a doctor. For the life of him, Will could not figure out how he had ended up here. Sure, he remembered the events clear as day; the decisions he made along the way. Knowing all of that, Will still couldn't make sense of the consequences he now faced. I was just defending myself, Will thought for the millionth time. It didn't mean anything; he was still here.
He and his mother had already met with the place's director about an hour earlier. Mr. D, as he had introduced himself, was a pot-bellied man with a strange obsession with leopard print and smelled like a brewery. If his mother had any concerns about leaving him in a facility run by a man with a clear drinking problem, she didn't let on.
Now his mother was gone, and he sat alone waiting to meet with Mr. Brunner, the counselor, for orientation. He'd been waiting about ten minutes before he forced himself to stop wallowing in his own self-pity and looked around.
This place, much like the chair he was sitting in, was depressing. The walls had once been painted white, probably in the mid-70s, and had never once been washed or touched up since then. The worn and cracked tile floor was a shade of green that reminded Will distinctly of snot. The wooden doors were dinged and scraped from decades of abuse.
Will had noticed large windows down the hall, which allowed in plenty of natural light. He also could see they were covered with metal mesh. They sent such a clear message: Any freedom you feel here is just an illusion. Under different circumstances, Will might have appreciated the symbolism, but not now. This was his life, and he found himself depressed.
The sound of heavy footfalls against the cheap tile pulled Will's attention off the windows. He looked toward the source of the sound just in time to see a guy about his age drop himself in the seat next to him. Will's most immediate thought was, 'This guy belongs here.' Hell, the guy looked like he could be Olympus's poster child. Clearly a fan of black, he wore jeans with leather boots, a rumpled shirt, and a leather jacket, all black. His shirt advertised some classic rock band Will had only barely heard of. The only thing close to color he was wearing was a large skull ring with blood-red rubies for eyes.
Looking past the whole emo punk rocker look the guy was going for, Will couldn't help but notice he was cute, bordering on straight-up hot. His skin was flawless ivory which stood out in stark contrast to his choice of clothes. He had sharp features with large eyes which seemed to reflect the black of his wardrobe. He looked up at Will through the shadows of his dark curls as he noticed Will staring. His full lips pulled up in the corners forming a dry smirk.
Will mentally scolded himself as he looked away. He picked a spot on the dingy white wall and focused on it with all his energy. Will could still feel the guy's eyes on him. Internally, he kicked himself. This is how he ended up here in the first place. Will didn't want any trouble. He just wanted to get through this whole nightmare so he could put it behind him. The guy sitting next to him was clearly trouble, like trouble with a capital' T'.
"Hey there, Sunshine," Emo Boy greeted. Will was less than enthused with the nickname. Or he would have been if he really noticed it, but he had been too preoccupied with the guy's voice. He detected a slight accent; he couldn't place it, but it was kind of hot. "Whatcha you in for?" he asked.
"Umm," Will had realized this was probably a question he was going to have to face, but he had hoped he wouldn't, at least not so soon. He squirmed in his chair, uncomfortable and ashamed as he admitted, "Assault."
Will glanced over at the Emo Boy to see him nodding thoughtfully before he asked, "What flavor?"
Will chewed at the inside of his lip. That must have been some kind of juvie term he wasn't familiar with. "Huh?"
The other guy eyed him critically. Will got the feeling he was trying to decide if Will was just playing dumb or was actually dumb. "Aggravated? With intent? With a deadly?"
"Um, just regular," Will shrugged, "I guess."
A grin played at the corner of the Emo Boy's lips. He clearly found the whole conversation amusing.
Well, at least one of them was having fun, Will thought.
"What did you do?" he asked with a level of interest in his voice that made Will extremely uneasy.
"I broke a guy's nose," Will muttered.
Emo Boy tilted his head slightly to one side as he took in that information. The gesture reminded Will of a neighborhood cat back in Tennessee when he was a kid. "That's it?" he asked with a clear note of disbelief, "And they sent you here?"
"Yeah," Will replied. He did his best to swallow the resentment that threatened to push to the surface, but it was a challenge. A guy that looked like he boosted car stereos for extra cash could see this situation was beyond an overreaction, but his mom was too worried about being embarrassed to acknowledge that fact. "It was the pastor's son."
Emo Boy grinned approvingly. "Not bad," he declared, and Will felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Will didn't think he wanted this guy's approval, even if he was hot in a bad boy kind of way.
Will looked away, and they fell into an awkward sort of silence. Will quickly found it intolerable. He shifted his weight in his chair before awkwardly asking, "Um, so why are you here?"
Another dark grin swept across Emo Boy's face. "Assault with a deadly weapon," he stated, amused. "But if you ask me, the charges were trumped up," he explained before asking, "Since when is a screwdriver a deadly weapon?"
"Um…," Was all Will managed as he searched the guy's features for a sign he had been joking and found none. Emo Boy seemed to find some kind of satisfaction in Will's loss for words.
After another stretch of silence, the other guy asked: "So why'd you do it?"
Will had already been lost in his own thoughts. Mainly he had been trying to think of a justifiable reason someone would stab another person with a screwdriver. "What?" He asked, coming back to the present.
"Break the pastor's kid's nose," he explained before restating the question, "Why'd you do it?"
The guy seemed genuinely curious, which only made the whole thing worse. "Oh," Will hadn't really thought anyone would ask him why he did it. All the adults he had dealt with up to this point couldn't seem to care less. Will shifted in his seat as he did his best to pick the right words. "He was……. harassing me. I wanted him to back off."
The Emo Boy smirked. "Harass," he played with the word, letting it roll off his tongue. "That is an awfully big word to describe someone being a dick," he noted, "Why was he harassing you?"
Will actually felt himself break out in a cold sweat. He didn't want to become one of those tragic stories people use to illustrate the effects of intolerance. Mentally, he started praying that Mr. Brunner would finally show up or maybe that Mr. D would come to check on them.
Realistically, Will knew he wasn't that lucky - his present circumstances more than illustrated that. Help was not coming, and escape was not an option, so he went with the only choice left to him, diversion. "Why'd you stab someone with a screwdriver?" Will asked.
Emo Guy's eyes narrowed, and at first, Will thought he wasn't going to answer. "He was annoying," He shrugged his slender shoulders, "And I was bored."
"Oh," Will still couldn't tell if this guy was kidding or not. That should have probably made Will wary. Instead, it made Emo Boy seem mysterious, which Will found appealing.
"Your turn," Emo Guy pointed out, "Do I need to repeat the question?" he asked, and Will detected the hint of teasing in his voice.
"No," Will sighed, resigned. "I….. He found out I'm gay," he explained, looking down at his hands. It wasn't that Will was actually ashamed of his sexuality. It was just hard watching people react to hearing it. Even people who didn't respond with all-out disgust can get this inappropriately curious expression like he was some sort of science experiment.
Looking on the bright side, if Emo Guy was completely disgusted, he would probably stop asking him questions. Then there would be no chance he would ask how the pastor's son had found out he was gay. That still wasn't a story Will was prepared to tell.
When Will dared to glance over, he found Emo Guy was eyeing him critically. After an impossibly long stretch of silence, the guy held out a small hand. Will noticed how long and slender the guy's fingers were, "I'm Nico di Angelo," he declared.
"Ah," Will was taken by complete surprise. He had never had anyone actually react so casually to hearing he was gay before. It took him a minute to realize he was supposed to do something, and he shook the Emo Guy's hand. "Will Solace," Will noted how Nico's hands were cool, and while they looked graceful, they were well-calloused. Much to his own frustration, Will found himself having to fight back hard against the blush threatening to creep up his neck.
I am NOT going to get a crush on some bad boy in kiddie jail, Will told himself firmly.
Flustered, Will tried to think of something to say. He didn't trust himself to speak and not say something completely idiotic. Luckily awkward silence was an option as a man in a wheelchair turned the corner and wheeled toward them. The man looked to be in his mid-fifties with dark hair, only a few hints of gray. He looked more like a college professor than a counselor at a youth home.
"Mr. di Angelo," The man Will assumed was Mr. Brunner declared, wheeling up to them. "I can't say I'm surprised to see you back here, but I am disappointed."
Nico shrugged unfazed, "Do I get my old room?"
Mr. Brunner sighed, resigned, and nodded in the affirmative. Nico pushed himself out of his chair and onto his feet. Will noticed the guy was on the short side. It made him less intimidating, if only slightly. He looked like he was going to leave, but Mr. Brunner stopped him. "Mr. di Angelo, can you try to approach your stay this time a bit more constructively than your others?" The counselor asked, "Maybe as an opportunity for growth and self-discovery."
Nico smirked coyly, "Anything is possible," he shrugged, "But I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you."
Mr. Brunner sighed heavily. "I will see you tomorrow in group."
"Not like I have much of a choice," Nico stated before turning on his heels and heading down the hall toward the facility proper. Will mentally chided himself for being disappointed to see the guy go and how excited he was when he paused and looked over his shoulder at Will. "See you around, Sunshine," Will said nothing as Nico walked away. This time there was no stopping the blush that spread across his cheeks.
Mr. Brunner seemed to notice, and his dark eyes flicked between Will to where Nico had disappeared around a corner and back to Will. Whatever the man saw or thought about the exchange, he said nothing about it.
"Mr. Solace, please follow me," The man gestured to the office door that Will had been sitting outside of for the last half-hour. Will started pushing himself out of his chair. The man pulled open the door and wheeled himself in as Will followed.
After a half an hour orientation video that explained nothing, Will found himself sitting across from Mr. Brunner, the counselor's large desk between them. The man thoughtfully examined a file on his desk for a long time before looking up at Will. "So having looked over your file, William-," he started in a kind voice.
"Will," he corrected.
Mr. Brunner nodded with understanding. "Apologies, Will," he corrected before continuing, "You're a good student with no history of trouble," he stated, and Will got the feeling he was reading bullet points off of his file. "And while assault is a serious offense, in your case, there seems to have been mitigating circumstances." Will bit back a laugh. Mitigating circumstances seemed like an understatement. "Now I see here, you are scheduled for an eight-month stay, but I see no reason that can't be six," He explained, "Based on your behavior while you're here, of course."
"Really?" Will asked, feeling genuinely hopeful for the first time since that stupid party that ruined his life.
"Absolutely," Mr. Brunner assured before adding, "That being said, it can be easy to find yourself involved in trouble during your stay simply by making friends with the wrong people." He chose his words carefully. "So be careful who you choose to associate with."
"Okay," Will replied unsurely. He got the distinct impression that Mr. Brunner was speaking specifically about Emo Boy from earlier. Will had thought that the guy was trouble, but this was a home for at-risk youth- Wouldn't everyone be trouble?
"Now, don't worry," Mr. Brunner stated. "There are a number of upstanding young men here for minor offenses such as yourself," he looked back down at the folder again. "Your roommate will help you acclimate." he stated as he flipped through papers, "I'm sure you have been assigned to someone in a sim-….. oh for the love of…." Mr. Brunner stopped and pitched his nose out of clear frustration. Will's stomach dropped with fear.
What does that reaction mean about my roommate, Will wondered.
Mr. Brunner aggressively grabbed a stack of post-it notes off his desk and pulled it closer to himself. He scribbled something on it and detached it from the stack before attaching it to a long piece of paper about the size of the standard brochure. He turned the paper around and pushed it in front of Will. "This -" he indicated the sticky note "- is your room assignment. It is on the second floor, very easy to find. And this -" he indicated the paper under the sticky note "- is your class schedule. Just because you are here doesn't mean you should neglect your studies. You will have group counseling every day. It looks like you're scheduled for…." He tilted his head to better read the paper before letting out a heavy sigh, "Morning session," he stated begrudgingly, "So I'll see you tomorrow at nine."
With his room assignment in hand, he tried to follow Mr. Brunner's very vague directions. Will wasn't really surprised he got lost. On his second course correction, he found what he figured was a lounge area. A nice guy with blonde hair and wire-rimmed glasses took pity on him. The guy showed Will where the nearest staircase was.
Thanks to Blond Guy's help, Will found his room with no more unintentional detours. Sticking his head through the open door, he was surprised to find it was actually a pretty big space. There was enough space to accommodate two beds, two dressers, two desks, and one bookshelf. The walls were an unfortunate faded yellow, which may have been worse than the dingy white. Also, it clashed with the snot green floor.
One side of the room, the side closest to the door, was clearly occupied. Will's first clue: the guy sitting on the bed. He looked to be Hispanic and had elfish features, as best Will could tell. The guy didn't look up from the bits of wires and electric pieces that surrounded him on the bed. It looked like the kid had surrounded himself with a dismantled radio.
Will noticed his belongings: his backpack, duffle bag and guitar case had been rather unceremoniously dropped on the bed on the far side of the room. He took a few steps into the room before he froze.
"You must be the new roommate," The Hispanic kid looked up from his wires as he noticed Will. Living in Tennessee most of his life, Will was practically an expert on southern accents. He was sure he picked up on hints of Texas from this kid. "I'm Leo, and welcome to La Casa Valdez." He remarked with a friendly grin.
Will nodded an acknowledgment as he walked across the room to where his stuff had been tossed. He could easily tell his bags had been unpacked and repacked rather sloppily. He frowned at the discovery.
Leo seemed to notice his concern as Will stared at his possessions rather helplessly. "Yeah, they go through everyone's stuff when they arrive," the Hispanic kid explained, "To make sure there is no contraband."
"What counts as contraband?" Will asked absently. He couldn't help but feel violated, finding his stuff had been searched without his knowledge or permission.
"Pretty much everything that could be considered fun," Leo replied, before adding positively, "You're lucky it was Reyna on today. She is a bit of a hard ass, but she's honest. So you don't have to worry that any of your stuff got pocketed."
"Except for any sense of privacy," Will replied remorsefully.
"You do know where you are, right?" Leo asked, amused.
The day, everything, finally hit him, and Will sat down on the bed, his bed, hard. It started to sink in; this was really happening. He was really here because he wouldn't let some self-loathing, closeted dick bully him. He was going to spend the next eight months of his life here. He didn't deserve it, but that was the case nonetheless. Will felt tears began to well up in his eyes. For the first time since all of this started, he actually felt like he was going to cry. "It's starting to sink in."
"This place isn't so bad," Leo offered. "I'm a foster kid, so trust me. I've been in places way worse than this," He explained reassuringly, "The first day is the hardest, but you'll get used to it. Once you get to know a few people, make a few friends, this place becomes downright tolerable."
"Yeah," Will acknowledged, pushing a tear from his eye. He remembered Emo Guy from earlier. "Already met someone outside of Mr. D's office." He explained, actually feeling a little positive. Sure, the kid had seemed like trouble, but he had actually been pretty nice to Will, even after he had found out Will was gay. "I'm guessing he's been here before based on the way Mr. Brunner talked to him." He explained.
"A frequent flyer, there's a few of those," Leo commented, looking interested. "Most of them are pretty cool." he admitted, "What was his name?"
"Nico, I think," Will replied. He hoped it didn't sound like he had already memorized the guy's name because he totally hadn't.
Will looked over at the Hispanic kid and saw the guy blinking back at him, surprised. "di Angelo?" He asked, sounding skeptical.
Will shrugged, trying to look casual, "Oh, yeah, I guess."
"You're friends with di Angelo?" Leo asked in clear disbelief.
Will kicked himself internally. He shouldn't have mentioned anything about his run-in with Emo Guy. He knew next to nothing about him, or about his new roommate for that matter. For all Will knew, the two guys could hate each other. "I wouldn't say friends," Will clarified, hoping to repair any damage he might have caused by bringing it up in the first place. "We just talked a little while we both waited for Mr. Brunner, that's all," He explained, but the look of disbelief didn't leave Leo's face. "Why? Is that a bad thing?"
"No," Leo answered, sounding unsure, "No, di Angelo's cool. He's just not known for being a social butterfly. He doesn't usually talk to anyone outside his circle."
"Oh?" Will exclaimed, a bit surprised by that information. Nico had been pretty chatty earlier. Will wondered what that meant if Emo Guy wasn't normally like that.
"His sister is seriously hot though," Leo declared with an impish grin, "Don't tell him I said that. I'd like to keep all my fingers and toes."
Hotness must run in the family, Will thought, which caused his cheeks to pink. "Your secret is safe with me," He muttered reassuringly.
"Awesome!" Leo declared with sincere excitement as he hopped off his bed. "If you want, I can show you around a bit, introduce you to the tolerable people in this place."
"Yeah, that'd be cool," Will admitted, "I mean, if you don't mind."
"You seem cool enough," Leo shrugged, "Which already makes you a thousand times better than my last roommate. Octavian, what a dick!" he informed before gesturing to wires on the bed, "Besides, this can wait."