Prompt: Is that your girlfriend?

Title: Mistaken Relationships

Number in Collection: Two

Title of Collection: Solangelo Drabbles

Summary: Based on this prompt: Is that your girlfriend? / Half-Blood Café isn't the closest to the dorms nor was it the biggest, but there was something that drew Nico to it like a moth to a flame. He refused to believe it was because of the barista. / AU

Notes: Can be read as a standalone. College AU. Café AU. Slight OOC

IT'S 4 AM WHEN NICO FIRST MEETS WILL.

He's barely half-awake, spending the night in a study group as they cram for an exceptionally hard test tomorrow. It was an unanimous choice for coffee boy – partially because Nico is the youngest in the group and because gods forbid Percy – who had lived in this city far longer than Nico – knew of a coffee shop open at this hour.

Which was how Nico found himself standing in front of Half-Blood Café with a crumpled paper in his fist.

He pushes open the door, the ding of the bell a sharp contrast in the still night. The shock of blond hair that had been dozing on the counter jerks up, eyes still half-lidded. The barista blinks at Nico sleepily, rubbing his eyes and dragging a hand across his face. He yawns. "Welcome to Half-Blood Café." He yawns again. "How may I help you?"

Nico doesn't say anything about the sleepiness because dang but he's feeling the same way. He slides the paper across the counter. "Can I have one of everything on here to go?"

The barista – Will, his name tag reads – nods, bringing the paper up and scanning it quickly. He furrows his brows briefly, looking up at Nico in confusion. "Blue coffee?"

And Nico resists the urge to face-palm or slam his forehead against the stone counter. "Percy," he groans. He really didn't need this right now. "Just ignore that. We're all a little sleep deprived."

Will nods again and spins around to prepare the drinks. Nico takes a seat in one of the booths, covering his mouth with a hand as he yawns and blinks the tears from his eyes. Searching for something to take his mind away from sleeping, Nico finds himself staring.

Will might be sleepy, but he moves around the equipment as if he's worked there his entire life. His hands are steady, pouring out the appropriate portions with a precise eye. He can't have been more than a few years older than Nico, and – judging by the dark under his eyes – he's probably another student too.

There're other things about Will that brings Nico to that conclusion, but Nico can't explain it, really. It's less of facts than it was of gut feeling. But he's the resident expert in noticing details – noticing things, animals, people – that everyone just looks past, so he's pretty confident.

The next thing he knows, the drinks are ready. The next minutes are a whirlwind of blurry colors and words, because Nico has probably reached his tired point, to say the least. The moment he arrives back in the dorm, everyone has crashed – some on the floor, others on the couch, and a few who have made it to the beds.

Nico merely places the bags on the kitchen counter, half-stumbling over to his room. He doesn't even take the time to change before he throws himself on the bed – asleep before his head even touches the pillow.

IT'S ONLY THREE HOURS LATER THAT HE SEES WILL AGAIN.

Apparently, Half-Blood Café is the closest to Olympus University open during the winter, because Nico finds himself outside the orange walls again, dressed snugly in thick clothes. He only has time to briefly wonder why Will is still at the counter – seriously, did that boy ever sleep – before Percy practically pushing him out of the door because they are so, so late.

Will is pushed out of his mind when Nico is staring at the papers in front of him, praying that all the study had paid off – pen posed and on the paper the second the teacher starts the clock.

IT'S THE AFTERNOON WHEN NICO COMES BACK TO HALF-BLOOD CAFÉ.

They've agreed to meet up there – Percy, Annabeth, Leo, and Nico. Percy had insisted, wanting to meet the café that had actually found enough food coloring to turn his coffee blue. Leo had pretend to retch when he saw it, but the look of euphoria on Percy's face was priceless.

Nico secretly agreed with Leo.

Annabeth and Leo claim a booth while Nico and Percy line up. Percy's foot taps against the ground – his ADHD acting up almost as strong as Leo's. Nico's wondering if more caffeine is safe for Percy when the older boy begins to talk. "Are you sure this is the right place?"

Nico was pretty certain no one could miss the bright orange, but he leans to the side for a glimpse at the barista to humor Percy. "It's still the same person."

"Really? Are shifts supposed to be that long?"

"No."

"Then?"

"How should I know, Jackson? Ask him yourself!"

"Geez, someone's cranky."

"I'm sleep-deprived and stressed, Percy. Of course I'm cranky."

They've reached the counter. There's a girl manning the cash register this time, unlike the other times Nico came. "Order?" she asks simply, all brown hair and green eyes.

They list out their orders and watch as she punches in into the register, the total popping out on the small screen. As Percy and Nico fish out enough change, she turns to Will, operating the equipment with another boy like a pro. "We got one milk tea, two hot chocolates, and a …. blue? … caramel latte."

Nico is wishing for the ground to swallow him whole at Percy's outrageous request when Will turns around. "Blue?" he repeats before his eyes meet Nico's, and he nods. "Ah."

Percy looks elated but Nico just wants to die. Percy beams. "They do do it!"

"Of course, Percy. Why would I have lied to you?" Nico mutters dryly.

How is Percy the older one here again?

Their drinks arrive, and they grab them, sliding into the booths. Percy gives Annabeth her milk tea with a kiss on the cheek while Nico slides one of the hot chocolates at Leo, telling the Latino he owes him one. Annabeth tries and fails to disguise her disgust when Percy happily opens up the latte to see the blue. "That's not natural," she settles for instead.

"You're telling me," Leo agrees, looking away from the monstrosity.

Nico has to admit that it makes him kinda queasy too.

It's not until Nico picks up his own drink that he sees the writing scrawled on it – messy, nearly ineligible words. Judging by the bags under your eyes, you should get more sleep, Midnight Stranger.

Nico can't resist the urge to reply, grabbing a pen from Annabeth – she always carries one around with her – and using the tissue to write on. Look who's talking. And, for the record, it was past midnight. And I saw you this morning!

They're walking out of the store when Nico sticks the message into the tip jar, folded with a simple Will on the top. The cashier girl – Katie – frowns and starts to say something but stops when she sees the name. Nico turns away before she can see the blush on his cheeks. He doesn't usually do this, but there's something that feels right about it.

Percy tugs on his gloves when the escape the warm cocoon of the café. "That's it. I'm never going to another café again."

Nico rolls his eyes because – well – what were the chances of coming back here when it turned warmer? There were closer cafes to the University.

But come back they did.

IT'S THE HOLIDAYS WHEN EVERYTHING CHANGES.

It's been a few months since Nico first stepped foot in Half-Blood Café. Things had changed since then. Now, Will and he were friends – close friends even. They'd even taken to writing messages for each other as tradition – Will on the cup and Nico on the tissue.

Katie greets him when he comes in now, along with other people that Nico has grown accustomed to. The Café isn't large by any means, but it has a homely feeling about it that Nico likes.

Or at least that's what he tells himself, because there's no way he'd even think about the other option.

It's on this particular day that Hazel visits. His half-sister has grown since he saw her last, but so had he for that matter. It didn't matter because gods but was he glad to see her. Frank is crashed back at the dorm, jet lag catching up, but Hazel had caught enough sleep on the plane over.

He pushes open the door, smiling at Will when the blond greets him. Holding open the door for Hazel, he waits until she's in before telling her to grab them a table while he orders. She smiles nodding and pointing to a table at the corner. "I'll be over there," she says before she gives him a kiss on the cheek.

He smiles at her, nodding and walking over to Will.

The blond is no longer smiling, the spark gone from his blue eyes.

Hold on, what happened?

A frown tugs on his lips. "Will? What's wrong?"

Blue eyes look up at him, flashing with a dozen different emotions gone too fast before Nico can clarify what they are. Anger? Hurt? Resentment? Sadness? Guilt?

They look away, Will tapping his fingers on the counter restlessly. "Nothing," the other boy mumbles out. "What can I get for you?"

Ouch. But Nico is not one to push. He prefers to let people open up on their own. "Two vanilla lattes."

Will nods, punches in the correct information, and takes the cash Nico hands him. Nico could leave now, walk back to the booth to catch up with Hazel as their drinks are made. But something holds him back. He tells himself it's because there's no one else in line and he's lazy to make the trip twice, but even he knows he's just making up excuses by his point.

It's almost mechanical, the way Will moves – lacking his usual grace and excitement. He hands them to Nico without a word. Nico takes them, hesitating. "Will?" he tries.

Will winces – foot tapping against the floor rapidly before he snaps his head up, blurting, "Is that your girlfriend?"

Nico blinks. "What?"

Will jerks his head at Hazel, who was thankfully staring out the window. "Her. Your girlfriend?"

"No!"

It comes out a little more forcefully than Nico had aimed for. Hazel glances at him worriedly, but Nico shakes his head, giving her a reassuring smile. He turns back to Will, biting his lip. "Hazel isn't my girlfriend," he said.

Was that hope in Will's eyes?

"Gosh, she's my sister, Will."

Will's mouth shape a perfect o as he slowly begins to nod, red inching up his cheeks. "That makes sense."

Nico snorts and is about to move when Will snaps his hand out. "Hold on," the blond says, determination in his gaze and actions.

He grabs a Sharpie and scribbles something on the cup before handing it back. Will immediately turns to disappear into the staff room, mumbling something about taking his lunch break now.

It's not until he's handed Hazel his drink and is sitting down when he reads what Will wrote. I like you, Nico. Really, really like you. So I was wondering if you'd like to go on a date with me?

Nico's world stopped, eyes fixated on the short message. Ignoring Hazel's worried words, he grabs his tissue and a pen, scribbling a response on the paper. Hazel picks up the cup while he's doing this, gasping when she read the message. She smiling at him softly now, sending warmth over his body because she doesn't mind that he likes a boy.

Hazel doesn't even complain when Nico drags them out of the café, stopping by at the cashier for Nico to drop the message into the tip jar. Hazel laughs as Nico grabs her hand grinning and bouncing on his heels like he's five again. "So?" she asks. "What did you say?"

She's fairly certain she can already guess (judging from Nico's reaction) the answer, but she wants to hear him say it.

And she isn't disappointed because Nico stops, cradling both her hands in his and staring down at her with sparkling eyes. Hazel can't help but feel that his eyes sparkle more than they ever have.

"Yes," Nico said. "I said yes."