#Percy's reaction was anger but also denial

[starlightshadowsworld]

As a kid, Percy was never told his father left or he'd died.

He was merely lost at sea.

Lost at sea...

The same place Percy had lost Jason.

He didn't leave them.

He hadn't di-

Jason was just lost.

He'd been lost before.

He'd come back.

Because Jason was just lost... Lost at sea.

[noodleblade]

Dense but bright

Summary: Unfortunately for Perceptor, no matter how many foolish, inane attempts he made, each one had gone…unnoticed.

For Brainstorm, while an astoundingly brilliant and bright mech, was painfully, tormentingly oblivious. -- Or, Perceptor struggles to confess his affections for Brainstorm.

Ao3 Link x Enjoy!:)

The scenario had grown decidedly frustrating. Perceptor stood stiffly as he shifted from pede to pede, waiting for Brainstorm to open the small box. He could only watch with a mixture of absolutely dread and terribly, horrible, burning adoration as Brainstorm’s optics cycled wide and brightened at the small vial now cupped gently in his servos. 

KClO3, otherwise known as potassium chlorate. Highly reactive, highly sensitive, highly dangerous. Innocuously packaged and neatly contained, but no less deadly. Just like Brainstorm and his maddening ingenuity; just like the quarrelsome feelings Perceptor held for the other mech. 

A soft gasp whistled through Brainstorm’s blast mask, optics darting from Perceptor to the vial and then back again. 

“Oh, Percy , it’s perfect!”

Perceptor’s spark spun rapidly in his chassis as Brainstorm beamed. Even with the mask affixed, the jet’s unbridled joy was evident, fanning out in waves across their quiet lab. Brainstorm immediately started rambling about all his plans for the white crystalline powder, wings fluttering to match his excited speech.

The swarming enthusiasm had Perceptor fighting back his own small smile, his spark threatening to nose dive directly into his tank. He’d never felt so off-kiltered, so unbalanced in the desire to simply just be around a mech, let alone Brainstorm . But, as the cycles passed, it had become ever-so-clear that Perceptor had become wholly and truly infatuated. His processor delighted in cataloging and recording Brainstorm’s reactions, already eagerly thinking up new ways to get repeated results, desperate to find a way to live in these moments a little longer without having to voice his own confession.

In truth, that really all this was: yet another poorly concealed way for Perceptor to express his affections, to confess his feelings. Not just of that as a colleague- he knew he had obtained that long before these sticky, messy feelings clung to his spark -and not just that of a friend- that territory itself was still new -but of a partner , encompassing both colleague and friend but also more . Unfortunately for Perceptor, no matter how many foolish, inane attempts he made, each one had gone…unnoticed. 

For Brainstorm, while an astoundingly brilliant and bright mech, was painfully, tormentingly oblivious.

“How’d you get this?” Brainstorm asked with optics so bright they were blinding. “I put the request in three times and Ultra Magnus vetoed it every time before it could even reach Rodimus’s desk. ‘Insufficient reason’, my aft. You must have really oiled him up.”

Warmth crawled across Perceptor’s plating, a flush of embarrassment curling in his circuits.

He had been well aware of Brainstorm’s failed attempts in trying to acquire the chemical substance. He had watched the repetitive cycle go on for weeks. Request submitted: Submittal denied: Denial complained about in length to Perceptor while pacing back and forth across the center of the lab, finding equally crude, yet impressive elaborate insults to vent his anger at Ultra Magnus before calming down to try again. Rinse and repeat. 

He highly doubted if the requests had managed to reach Rodimus’s desk that the Captain would look at them himself. Undoubtedly, the fate would remain the same as they would surely be passed right back to the Former Duly-Appointed Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord who would issue the same scathing denial. 

Perceptor, on the other hand, only needed to submit his request to Drift and within three cycles his inquiry was approved, funded and in servo. Granted, he did have to withstand the exposing humiliation of Drift wishing him “good luck!” with a cheeky wink, but that had all washed away in simply seeing the delight blossom from Brainstorm. 

“It’s all about knowing who to ask,” Perceptor said quietly, swallowing down the nervous static that tried to hang onto his words. “I hope it helps in your research.”

“It will!” Brainstorm beamed, his field wide, encompassing and warm. “Thanks, Percy! I don’t know what I would do without you.”

In his processor, he could see Drift nodding encouraging, whispering, ‘Go on! Now, tell him how you feel. This is the moment.’  

The words were on the edge of his glossa, threatening to spill from his lips. They were simple- nothing grand or extravagant -precise, and painstakingly practiced every recharge cycle he failed to utter them. They had become a horrible mantra of failure. It would be so easy to say them now and yet, the very thought brought the familiar grip of trepidation over his spark. What if his words were not well-received? 

“Just try not to blow anything up,” Perceptor muttered instead, quickly turning around to retreat to his work station as shame and disappointment pushed down on his shoulders. 

Behind him, Brainstorm let out a maniacal chuckle. “No promises!”

It shouldn’t have been endearing. It shouldn’t have made his spark strain in his chassis. It shouldn’t have been immediately recorded into his memory banks to play on repeat for the cycles to come…and yet. Perceptor bowed his helm onto his workbench, letting the cool metal sink into this plating.

Even with the swordsmech on the other side of the ship, Perceptor could still hear Drift groaning in his audials at yet another missed opportunity. It was becoming an all too familiar experience. He could already imagine yet another demoralizing walk of shame to the back corner of Swerve’s where Drift would spend the rest of the evening attempting to rally Perceptor up once more to try again. He’s surprised Drift had the emotional stamina to keep the effort going. 

Then again, this was owed. Perceptor couldn’t count the number of late night talks where Drift bemoaned his fragile and tenuous friendship with CMO. Which was saying something as Perceptor loved to count the integers of Pi as a relaxation exercise. Regardless, since the coupling of the TIC and the medic, the direction of their relationship talks shifted to that of Perceptor and Brainstorm. Drift was ever eager to find Perceptor the same happiness he finally snagged for himself. 

“You deserve to be happy and in love too,” Drift has insisted with soft, quiet words. “We both do. We’ve all been through too much.”

They had tried everything from gifts to friendly, affectionate touches to outings of not-quite dates that fell under the painfully flimsy label of “shop talk” . Each attempt had been eagerly, warmly accepted. Each time, hope bobbed up Perceptor’s intake, only for Brainstorm to smash it with a beaming grin of how Perceptor was such “a good friend” or “ the best lab partner a mech could ask for.” All horribly, pitifully platonic. Perceptor couldn’t remember a time that such simple friendship felt like an agonizing punishment. 

“You know there is a simple way to remedy this,” Drift had pressed one cycle, optics cast in a knowing light. “If you just tell him, I’m sure he’ll be more than receptive. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, how he talks to you, about you-”

Perceptor, aim true as always, narrowed his gaze at Drift pointedly. Drift had little room to be suggesting a verbal confession when for months Perceptor had given him the exact same advice only for the swordsmech to hem and haw and ultimately avoid it just as he was doing now. 

Still, it didn’t stop the TIC from being correct nor did it stop Perceptor’s simulations showing him the repeated evidence supporting the claim. It had worked for Cyclonus and Tailgate and for Drift and Ratchet eventually ; it even worked for their not-so illustrious Captain and his staunch Second despite neither of them being genuinely forthcoming with their feelings or emotions.

Perceptor just…wasn’t ready to verbalize his feelings. Not yet. Not when the very idea of having to stand before Brainstorm and utter such words sent his processor into a tizzy. Scrap, just trying to pass over a small gift as a token of affection, nearly crashed his neural net under the mounting anxiety. 

Perceptor lifted his helm with a heavy exvent and looked down at his datapad of research notes. He needed to clear his mind, have a moment of peace and focus on his work for a few blissful hours before he attempted to confront his feelings again. 

He flicked on the datapad and started to review his notes. Distantly, he could hear Brainstorm humming from his side of the lab, the soft clinking of glass as he fiddled with his newly procured chemical. It was…distracting. Perceptor’s processor drifted away from his own words to attempt visualizing what Brainstorm was doing. 

Were his wings fluttering to the rhythm of his hums? Was he scrawling his incomprehensible doodles and notes across the messy scattered datapads that littered his work station? Did his optics hold the brilliant glow of focus and excitement so unique to Brainstorm that Perceptor could only ever picture his lab partner with such a look in his optics and hope one day it may be aimed towards him?

A frustrated groan bubbled up his intake as he pushed the datapad away. The glyphs of his own notes were suddenly unintelligible, not that he could focus on anything with his processor so tied up in everything that was Brainstorm. He brought his servo to his helm, digit lightly rubbing his crest to help sooth the mounting helmache. He just needed to concentrate and forget about Brainstorm for just one klik-

“Uh, Perc?”

Perceptor jumped, startled despite his mind being laser focused on the only other mech in the room. He stumbled to his pedes, spinning around to find Brainstorm leaning towards him, their faces just a scant few inches apart. Brainstorm’s optics were soft and concerned. Perceptor felt like his spark was going to fall out of his mouth. 

“You okay? You’ve been staring at the table for a while.”

Embarrassment locked his intake shut, keeping any fumbling words lodged tight behind his denta. The proximity was hindering his fine motor-functions, leaving Perceptor to jerkily nod his helm. Embarrassment crawled across his plating. Primus.

Brainstorm didn’t seem convinced, his field lightly poking Perceptor’s retracted one. “Want me to walk you down to Ratchet? You’ve been acting so strange lately. Maybe you got a virus or something.”

The last place he wanted to go was the medbay. Undoubtedly, unless he was on shift, Drift would be there and see yet another example of his failure in doing such a simple task of just stating how he feels and-

Perceptor wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or cry or scream. He’d been under far more stressful situations than this. He’d survived a war, lost an optic, watched mechs die and perish around him and yet, the simple act of telling a mech he liked that he may adore them, set his systems into an emergency lockdown. He needed space, he needed to think, he needed to recenter himself because there was no scavenging a meaningful conversation out of this.

He took a step back and instantly collided with his workbench, the various instruments and datapads rattling loudly against the metal. Before him, Brainstorm’s wings dropped and the jet quickly stepped away, field retracting in so quickly it left the room blisteringly cold. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you,” Brainstorm continued to back off, helm bowed and optics locked on the ground. “Probably spooked you. My mistake. I’ll just leave you alone for a bit.”

Perceptor’s HUD flashed warning lights. This was not his intended response. He had not meant to snub the other mech or push him away. Seeing Brainstorm dejected and down by Perceptor’s doing, was enough to spur his movement, hydraulics hissing as he stumbled forward and clumsily landed his servo on Brainstorm’s shoulder pauldron.

The jet flinched, optics darting up to stare at Perceptor. He quickly retracted his servo, letting it simply hover between them uncertainly. This was not how Perceptor wanted this to go. Not at all. 

“I’m sorry about my behavior,” Perceptor forced out, the words stilted and not at all what he should be saying. The haunting vision of Drift stood behind Brainstorm, nodding his helm encouragingly, desperately so. “I didn’t mean to react so...You startled me.” Hesitantly, he added, “You are never bothersome.”

Giddy warmth bloomed across Brainstorm’s field. If his mask was off, Perceptor was sure the jet would be smiling. His processor was delighted in procuring images of such an instance. 

“Never caught you unawares before,” Brainstorm hummed happily, optics flashing up and down Perceptor’s frame like he could find the irregularity that had his coworker in such a tizzy. Woefully unaware of his effects on the microscope entirely. “Usually you are too observant.”

I can’t keep my optics off of you.

Perceptor quickly discarded that speech suggestion. It was from one of Drift’s many lent datapads on romance and courtship. It was cheesy, un-Perceptor in every way possible, but the urge to say it was right there, on the edge of his glossa. Along with hundreds of others.

Come on, do it now, Percy.

Perceptor looked away from Brainstorm and took a safe step back towards his station. He turned to his workbench, optics affixed to the clean top. 

“Perceptor?”

He could hear Drift’s quiet, exasperated exvent. The swordsmech didn’t need to be there to point out that opportunity had presented itself and Perceptor was wasting it. Again . 

Just be honest.

“You…” Perceptor started softly. His back was still turned to Brainstorm and his helm ducked down to stare at his incomprehensible notes. They looked like gibberish now, foreign and not by his own hand. “You mean a lot to me. I will always aid you in your endeavors. As convoluted and anine as they may be. I want to support you anyway I can, and be by your side to watch you succeed.”

There. He said it. Finally.

Horrible, haunting silence greeted him. He waited a klik, then two, hoping perhaps the other scientist just needed a moment. His words were sudden after all, and maybe he just needed the moment to process it. But all he got was quiet stillness. 

Perceptor twitched, servos clenching into tight fists as he let out a steadying exvent. Perhaps he had miscalculated. 

Peeking over his shoulder, Perceptor found Brainstorm in a similar state, back facing Perceptor, helm bowed, servos resting over his helm and wings trembling-

“Brainstorm?” Worry seeped into his words.

The jet withered, wings tucked low and protectively over his form.

“Brainstorm,” Perceptor tried again, slowly approaching the other. “Are you okay?”

“Excellent,” came the muffled reply, words spoken into his servos rather than to Perceptor. “I need a moment.”

“Was it something I said?”

“No, no,” Brainstorm was quick to wave off before returning his servo to cover his helm. “You’re perfect as always. It’s just me. I’ll get over it. Promise. I don’t want to make this weird.”

Perceptor frowned. If anyone was making this weird it was him and his inability to properly handle his feelings. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

A small groan left Brainstorm, digits digging into the seams of his helm. “I have a tendency to misread a mech’s kindness.” The voice was Brainstorm’s, sad and longing and bitter, but the words were not his own. Immediately, the bitterness dropped from his field, leaving only melancholy. “I just- you mean a lot to me too and I don’t want to ruin our partnership.”

Ruin it? 

“I don’t believe you can ruin it,” Perceptor spoke softly, hoping to comfort and soothe despite his nerves clinging to his plating. 

“Don’t jinx me, Percy,” Brainstorm taunted bitterly. “I have a knack for it. I let my emotions get the better of me. 

“Emotions,” Perceptor repeated quietly, hope blooming in his chassis as the edges of anxieties pulled at his wires. 

“I mean, I’m not exactly subtle,” Brainstorm spoke quietly, as if hoping Perceptor would not hear him. They still made their way to Perceptor’s audials, sinking into his processor as understanding stabbed him through the spark.

“Oh,” he said weakly. “I see.”

“Told you I could ruin it.” Brainstorm curled in on himself, his field coiled tightly to his frame. “Um, maybe I should leave. Give you some space. We can just forget today ever happened all together. Yeah, actually, let’s do that. If I bother Chromedome enough, maybe he can wipe it from both our processors-”

“Brainstorm-” Perceptor interrupted. The jet was spiraling. While Perceptor could more than relate, he much rather make some imperative corrections. “It appears I may have misrepresented myself these past few weeks.” Perceptor winced at his next words. “I thought my advances were also quite…obvious?” 

“ Advances ,” Brainstorm repeated the word. He whipped his helm around to look at Perceptor, optics cycling wide as the word registered. “Romantic advances?”

Perceptor averted his gaze, tank threatening to flip. “Yes.”

“So the gifts…and meet ups at Swerve’s…and-” Brainstorm let out a harsh exvent, optics blindingly bright. “ We were going on dates. ”

“That had been my intention, yes.”

A high pitched whine echoed from Brainstorm intake, the jet looked flustered. His wings fluttered nervously. Perceptor broached the remaining distance and watched Brainstorm seize up. He brought his hand up between them and in a moment of true boldness, cupped Brainstorm’s cheek. His touch was light, easy for either of them to back away. After an agonizing klik, Brainstorm pressed into it. 

“I see,” the jet murmured, the edges of warmth in his voice. “Oops.”

Perceptor couldn’t help the small chuckle that left him. 

“Primus,” he whispered, digit gently brushing just beneath Brainstorm’s optic housing; a heavy intake of air whistling through the gaps in the jet’s mask. “For such a brilliant mech, you are so, so dense.”

Perceptor was not much better, but he was willing to ignore that little fact.

“I’m not…” Brainstorm struggled to speak, optics too bright and too wide. “I’m not dense . You're dense.” A moment passed as Brainstorm hesitantly leaned back into Perceptor’s touch. “Brilliant?”

Perceptor couldn’t help but smile. “Focus.”

“I am,” Brainstorm let out with a sigh, wings fluttering happily. “You called me brilliant.” Turning into Perceptor’s palm, Brainstorm nuzzled it affectionately. “You’re amazing too. Not as amazing as me, but a close second. Like, a micron behind me.”

“Charming.” Perceptor couldn’t even try for any sarcasm, his spark spinning around utterly smitten.

“It should be, not many come anywhere close to us. We’re amazing.” Brainstorm cautiously raised his servo to rest over Perceptor’s, locking it to his cheek. “So, that means…you like me?”

Perceptor swallowed the static in his intake and nodded. “I do.”

“Fantastic,” Brainstorm beamed, optics casted in a soft, focused glow. “So…um, do I get a retry for a drink at Swerve’s?”

“A date,” Perceptor corrected, hesitant for only a moment before a warm chuckle whistled through Brainstorm’s mask.

“A date. Oh, and for the record, I like you too.”

Perceptor’s processor wasted no kliks in recorded that.

[myopinionhi]

Solangelo as LGBTQ Rep and Possible Issues

I do not represent the LGBT community because I’m sure a variety of LGBT fans would have various reactions to Solangelo. As a shy, bisexual person myself, I’ll speak only for myself.

I’ve noticed some people praising Solangelo for being positive LGBTQ rep and then others thinking it doesn’t deserve the praise. I can see both sides. 

I think Solangelo overall is positive LGBTQ representation. It’s not perfect. I’m glad Rick made Nico gay. However, Solangelo has one huge problem. It actually kind of suffers from a sort of harmful gay trope. The trope isn’t nearly harmful enough to take away Solangelo’s positive representation, but it’s there. I’ll elaborate more on it at the end of this essay.

Here are things I’m mostly not bothered with that others are regarding Nico and Will’s LGBT rep. 

1. Nico being outed by cupid. The infamous Cupid scene made me uncomfortable, and seeing Nico forced out of the closet hit too close to home. I could relate to a young teen struggling to accept the truth about himself. Some LGBTQ characters in media appear in an amazing LGBTQ utopia that pretends LGBTQ individuals don’t have issues with self-acceptance. Heroes of Olympus doesn’t sugarcoat Nico’s issues, because the struggle can be real for some LGBTQ individuals. Yes, Nico was forced out the closet. But he was mainly forced out of the closet to himself. It was supposed to be some sort of emotional release and self-awakening. If he stays in denial, more harm than good will come out of it. What Cupid did was cruel and was supposed to be cruel. I’d have an issue with the scene if Nico was forced out of the closet in front of a group of people, but since he was only forced out in front of Jason and then Jason respectfully keeps Nico’s secret and supports him, I actually don’t have an issue with it.

2. Nico and Will constantly argue. Nico and Will argue since Blood of Olympus. Will is aggressive with Nico. I’ve mentioned this before in a previous essay; Will has to be aggressive because Nico is on the verge of death. Nico is about to disappear into the shadows and hasn’t properly taken care of himself in a long time. After not seeing Nico in months, Will must have been devastated seeing the state of Nico’s health and seeing Nico being so stubborn and anti-social about it. Will’s anger is justified, and Nico needs that push to start being healthy after so long. Nico’s anti-social and self-depreciation also probably frustrated Will. Nico thought no one wanted to be his friend and is going to leave Camp, so Will has to be assertive to convince Nico he is wanted. 

Nico and Will’ s bickering in Lost Oracle is more affectionate bickering. They have very different personalities, so they’re going to disagree and let it be known. They have more harmless and playful disagreements. It’s actually more cute, if anything. 

The only real issue I have with their arguments is in Blood of Olympus when Will snaps at Nico by claiming “Nobody at Camp Half-Blood ever pushed you away.” and “You pushed yourself away. If you’d get your head out of that brooding cloud of yours for once...”  The harmful implication of this statement is the dismissal of Nico’s real experiences of rejection and that if he’d just stop brooding he’d be happy. The implications are....unfortunate. Don’t get me wrong. Will likely lost his patience with Nico’s stubbornness after hearing Nico say he’s leaving Camp, likely never coming back. I understand Will’s devastation, especially since he wants to be Nico’s friend and knows others who do too.

 The statement isn’t problematic because Will simply said it. It’s a human to say hurtful things. Will is an exhausted teen who’s on the verge of losing Nico. The real problem is the book doesn’t acknowledge Will’s statement as harmful. Will doesn’t apologize or acknowledge how he was wrong. Will says it and then Nico suddenly agrees to stay at Camp, implying Nico’s isolation was brought completely on himself. Hypothetically, if Will acknowledges his mistakes later, like in Tower of Nero, then this unfortunate line is more forgivable. 

3. Nico has barely accepted himself. He’s not ready for a boyfriend. I’d accept this argument if Will and Nico started dating at the end of Blood of Olympus. Fortunately, they don’t. Nico doesn’t even acknowledge having feelings for Will to himself. It’s only implied. I find the many fanfictions having Will and Nico dating after Nico stays at the infirmary for three days unrealistic and rushed. But not this. Will and Nico aren’t a confirmed couple until Hidden Oracle, which happens months after Blood of Olympus. If Nico gets emotional healing and bonds with Will for months, it’s not unreasonable for them to be dating. Even their official relationship in Hidden Oracle seems pretty casual and low stress.

4. Will has Nico on a short leash. No Will doesn’t. After Blood of Olympus, when Will tries to save Nico’s life, Will isn’t controlling. He may tell Nico to be nicer or would bicker, but nothing  too overbearing. Will teases Nico for not calling him his boyfriend and doesn’t get angry when Nico shadow-travels in Hidden Oracle. Nico seems to want to be around Will on his own accord. He enjoys being around Will, hence the doctor’s note. 

5. Will “fixed” Nico and/or Nico became too dependent on Will. No, the reason Nico is happier in Hidden Oracle is because he has learned to accept himself and he has family and friends supporting him. Some of the most important loved ones for Nico include Hazel, Reyna, Jason, and the rest of the Seven. Blood of Olympus gives more focus and development to Reyna and Nico’s relationship than Nico and Will’s relationship. Will is the straw that broke the camels back, but it’s the accumulation of impactful events and support that gets Nico to happiness. Will helped, especially with Nico’s physical health. When Nico decides to stay at Camp Half-Blood, it’s likely he sees his home in Camp Half-Blood than Camp Jupiter. Bianca trusted Camp Half-Blood to take care of Nico. Nico and Will’s relationship did grow after Blood of Olympus, and Will’s support helps Nico, but there’s no indication of Will be Nico’s “fixer”. He’s just Nico’s friend and boyfriend.

Here’s an interesting argument I’ve been pondering.

Will can’t be both Nico’s doctor and his boyfriend. This argument interests me because if Will had a crush on Nico during Blood of Olympus, he maybe shouldn’t treat Nico as a patient. I’ve seen too many creepy fanfictions of Will using his authority as Nico’s doctor to get closer to Nico. However, Will likely is also the one who knows what’s best for Nico’s health. He’s a better healer even than Apollo. He may also be the only one who knows how save Nico from fading into the shadows in Blood of Olympus since Nico’s powers are unusual. Will’s emotional investment in Nico interferes with objectivity. Then again, Will may be emotionally invested with many people in Camp-Halfblood as well, and Will is the one with the best healing. Will’s doctor’s note for Nico to sit at the Apollo table does touch upon Will’s professional conflict of interest with Nico. It’s possible Will can keep it completely professional as Nico’s doctor since he’s a natural-born healer, but it’s relying on the good-faith of a teenager. 

It seems unfair to deprive Nico of the best medical care because Will is his boyfriend. Especially during the winter, it’s possible Kayla’s and Austin’s healing abilities are very inferior to Will’s. At the same time though, there’s conflicts of interest when Will has Nico as his patient. 

Here’s one issue I have in regards to Nico’s crush on Percy.

We don’t know how Nico gets over his crush on Percy. We’re never shown Nico’s POV until Blood of Olympus, so it’s very possible Nico goes through some self-realization after the Cupid scene. I find Nico’s dropped crush on Percy disappointing. I would have liked to see Nico admit there’s still some lingering, painful feelings towards Percy for a little while during Blood of Olympus. It would have been interesting seeing Nico accept the heartbreak and move on. Percy was Nico’s first love and someone who Nico invested in for years. House of Hades seems to imply there is still some lingering feelings, but then it’s dropped in Blood of Olympus, and Nico says to Percy “you’re not my type.” It’s lazy writing. It’s like Rick made Nico gay for Percy for that gay angst but then didn’t feel like following through. Nico’s crush on Percy affected Nico for years. How is it dropped within two books?!

The main issue I have with Solangelo

Their romance and relationship is hidden. Okay, if Will didn’t call Nico his boyfriend and Apollo didn’t gush over their relationship in Hidden Oracle, we wouldn’t know they’re in a romantic relationship. All their actions are completely platonic. I get that Nico’s probably not into PDA. I get romantic pet names may be too embarrassing for Nico. I get they may not want to flaunt their relationship. I get they may not want to hold hands. I get they’d want to keep their relationship private. I get they’re young. I get Nico doesn’t like being touched. I get Trials of Apollo is only from Apollo’s POV. That’s not the issue. 

What actions do they have that imply they’re boyfriends instead of friends? The most affectionate they’ve gotten is Nico resting his hand on Will’s shoulder, Will casually leaning on Nico before the three-legged race, or Nico grabbing Will’s hand once to shadow-travel to the chariot. There’s not really any tiny romantic actions. There’s no clear romantic flirting, loving gazes, hand squeezes, hugs, legs touching, footsies, kisses on the head, or hugs. Only a couple of these small romantic actions are all that’s necessary. Nico and Will don’t have to go as far as kissing and cuddling. The relationship gets brownie points for using the label "boyfriend”, but then homophobes don’t have to be squeamish about two guys getting even a tiny bit of romantic affection. It’s too easy to censor the explicit gayness of their relationship because there’s not much to possibly censor. 

Their absent romantic affection is only half of it though. Another major problem is Solangelo is only in two books. Even when they’re in those two books, their relationship doesn’t get a lot of scenes. In Blood of Olympus, Will and Nico work together and bicker during the battle against Gaia. It’s heartwarming, but they don’t even meet up until more than halfway into the book. In Hidden Oracle, Nico and Will are only in a handful of scenes, and many of these moments are brief. When Will and Nico are shown, they have chemistry. They clearly care and support each other. But this groundbreaking relationship of theirs doesn’t have much. Will is the son of Apollo, and, not including Tower of Nero for now, only appears in Hidden Oracle during Trials of Apollo. Why does Will Solace only appear in 1 (2 including Tower of Nero) books in Trials of Apollo even though his dad is the main character? We don’t know. He could be strong LGBTQ rep with a boyfriend, but....nope. 

The same-sex ships get tiny crumbs, and then you’ve got all these straight ships shown and developed in more than two or three books. I’m worried Solangelo is falling under the “But Not Too Gay” trope, where an author wants a gay couple for representation credit, but then won’t give them the same appreciation as straight couples.  

Don’t get me wrong. I’d much rather have Nico be gay, and I’d much rather have Solangelo be a couple. I think their relationship is wholesome, and what’s shown of them has positive representation. I don’t find Nico’s LGBTQ representation too problematic. It’s just sort of....missing something important that could make it really positive. For what it’s worth, I appreciate the Solangelo crumbs, and it meant a lot to me growing up.