Will didn’t know where he would be if his mama hadn’t helped him sign with an up-and-coming indie alt-country label. He’d already released his first album, and was basically self-funding his tours until he could grow his brand, but he was living the dream.
He had social media to thank, of course, alongside the extra boost he’d gotten from being the son of Naomi Solace. Even before he was signed, Will had been posting videos of himself playing clips of covers and snippets of original songs. He had fans all over the world by the time he was ready to release his album, and had people begging in his TikTok comments for him to play a show in their city. He couldn’t do this without the fans.
Once a week, regardless of where his tours took him or how busy he had been, Will posted himself playing a medley of covers. Classic country, a few of his mom’s songs, top forty, or anything that happened to come across his discovery playlist that week that he couldn’t get out of his head.
Will sat on the floor of a motel room, his back against the foot of the bed with his phone propped up across from him. He held a worn acoustic guitar in his lap, the body scuffed and decorated with various stickers. With a few test strums, the guitar produced a rich resonation.
WILL
Alright, this next one is way outside of my usual style, and I didn’t get much of a chance to practice, so bear with me, okay?
Will strummed quickly, setting the melody and tempo before he began to sing: Bulimic by The Cacodemons.
Will Solace
Part 52 | featuring Cowboy Take Me Away by THE Naomi Solace, Toxic by Britney Spears, and Bulimic by The Cacodemons. Comment any songs you might want to hear in the future! less
►Playlist • Weekend Covers
Comments 1.3K ▼ | Likes 237.4K
nightmareplanethate
going crazy over that cacodemons cover 👀 has anybody heard of these guys before????
1h • Reply • ♡ 292
-- View 21 replies
sandyturtles
YOU DO ROCK NOW??? killer quest cover when
1h • Reply • ♡ 32
sunnylater
pls come to nebraska!!!
1h • Reply • ♡ 2
emonite @mywaspcatcher
ok we’ve all heard @willsolace's cover of bulimic by @thecacodemons right. what do yall think would happen if nico reciprocated. personally my vote is that the world would explode
503 Replies | 2.4K Retweets | 15.3K Likes
nico @nvda ・ 1h
Replying to @mywaspcatcher
listen, @willsolace's cover was f*cking amazing but switching up genres doesn’t always work both ways. I wouldn’t want to butcher one of his songs just for the sake of a few extra views
7.2K Likes ・ Reply
Will @willsolace ・ 1h
Replying to @mywaspcatcher and @nvda
👀
5.4K Likes ・ Reply
nico @nvda
started following 3 minutes ago
Will Solace @willsolace
hi holy sh*t i’m glad you liked my cover and i would be HONORED if you wanted to cover one of my songs!! ive been listening to your stuff on repeat for over a week now and i cant get over how good it is. and i dont even LIKE screamo or whatever you call it but its SO GOOD!!! so PLEASE dont let me stop you from covering one of my songs regardless of genre. sing it, scream it, whatever you want to do. or not!! dont let me pressure you either way!!!
Nico stood alone, wringing his hands in front of the oversized plaid shirt he wore.
NICO
Listen, first of all, the shirt is Jason’s, the boots are Hazel’s, and the hat is Reyna’s. This was all their idea.
The camera panned to show off the hat atop Nico’s head, and the way his ripped-up skinny jeans were tucked into a pair of cowboy boots. Nico nodded to someone off camera, who tossed him a small, portable speaker, which began to play the sounds of an acoustic guitar.
Nico’s eyes slipped shut as he listened to the music, and as he started to sing, it was with an overexaggerated country twang. He barely managed three words before he burst into laughter.
NICO
Sorry, sorry. I can’t-- Can we start over?
The music stopped, then started over. Nico began to sing earnestly, his eyes fluttering shut and his voice practically ripping from his throat.
Will wasn’t sure how many times he watched the video before he finally came out of his daze. There was just… so much, and he didn’t know what he was supposed to focus on first.
Nico was gorgeous - Will couldn’t believe he’d never thought to look up pictures of the band before. He had dark hair with gentle curls that framed his face in such a way that Will had to assume he had even more hair gathered at the base of his neck, or tucked inside that cowboy hat. He had enough piercings that Will couldn’t even count them - in his eyebrow and his lower lip and his ears - and a few tattoos that seemed to peek out from the edges of his borrowed flannel shirt. His olive skin was just too pale to hide a light dusting of freckles across his up-turned nose and over his cheeks, something of a frame to beautifully dark eyes with thick lashes.
That didn’t even begin to match the lure of his voice. Will had heard Nico sing before - of course he had; The Cacodemons were rapidly taking up space on Will’s on repeat playlist - but he’d never heard it sound anything quite like this. Just him and a gentle, pre-recorded guitar was like heaven on earth when compared to Nico’s screaming vocals paired with heavy drum beats and screeching guitars. Will had almost been entirely floored just to hear that Nico could really sing, considering most of what was recorded of him could possibly be better described as shouting into a microphone.
Will still couldn’t get a hold of his thoughts by the tenth time that the video had looped, and once Will finally managed to pull himself away - after liking the video and sharing it on his own page, of course - he rushed to Twitter to open up his DMs.
nico @nvda
following each other for 1 week
Will Solace @willsolace
just so u know, you’re not supposed to tuck ur jeans into ur cowboy boots, and the look wouldve been more authentic if u were wearing jeans that couldve fit over the boots, not to mention that the hat clearly didn’t fit, but i guess u can have a pass since u said it was borrowed, and ur “country” accent definitely needed more work before u started recording
Will’s brain came back online shortly after he hit send, and only once he’d read over the text that he’d sent did Will’s heart start pounding.
Why the f*ck did he say that?
Awesome cover! would’ve worked just fine. Loved your video! was quick and easy.
Why did hearing a pretty voice coming out of an even prettier man have to turn Will’s brain completely to mush?
He tried to think of something, anything, that could fix what he’d said, but he sat frozen, watching in horror as those three little dots appeared and disappeared, on and off, over and over. Any second, he expected to see a notification pop up, stating that he’d been blocked by the user he was trying to contact.
nico @nvda
following each other for 1 week
nico @nvda
sorry sh*t i knew we were taking the joke too far. i swear, i just wanted to do the cover, but hazel insisted on the stupid voice and jason and reyna practically forced me into the clothes but it was really stupid and im so sorry i’ll delete the video right now
Will Solace @willsolace
NO DON’T!!!
im SO sorry i didnt mean to say ANY of that but your cover was so good that it wiped my brain
i promise im NOT an asshole
please dont think im an asshole
i swear ill spend the rest of my life doing free promo for your band if you promise you don’t think im an asshole
nico @nvda
oh thank god. i won’t think you’re an asshole as long as you don’t think that of me. no promo necessary
i’ll give you a heads up the next time i post something involving you so you can give the all clear
Will’s heart was pounding for a different reason. That sounded like a promise.
The Cacodemons @thecacodemonsband
Check out our new music video for “Buried Myself Alive” off of our debut self-titled album! Stream the album wherever you listen to music, or visit our website to purchase physical copies.
273 Replies | 2.1K Retweets | 18.4K Likes
-- retweeted by @WillSolace
Will Solace @WillSolace
Weekend Covers! Don’t forget to leave suggestions for next week in the comments! This week’s covers include Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash, Bury It by Heavenly Bodies, and Real Tough Life by Killer Quest. www.tiktok.com/WillSola...
492 Replies | 5.2K Retweets | 27.6K Likes
-- retweeted by @TheCacodemonsBand
nico @nvda
following each other for 5 months
nico @nvda
Shared a link: www.iheart.com/mus…
i will never understand music genres. how the f*ck are we going against each other in the alt rock category when we don’t sound anything alike
Will Solace @willsolace
holy sh*t we’re up for WHAT???
iHeartRadio’s Nominations and Who We’re Voting For [excerpt] by Miranda Gardner
The world of music is ever evolving, but Berkeley, California’s The Cacodemons is launching us back into alt rock’s past, giving the year 2000 as vocalist Nico di Angelo screams his voice raw in every song on this record. The Cacodemons consider themselves a family, making music for the love of it and living their childhood dream. If The Cacodemons were up for Best New Artist, we believe they would sweep so thoroughly that it wouldn’t be fair to the other artists. As it stands, The Cacodemons would be our projected Best Alt Rock Album of the year, though they may still be too unknown by the wider music community to get the much needed votes.
…
In a surprising turn of events, alt country artist Will Solace, son of three-time Grammy award winning country singer Naomi Solace, has managed to fight his way into the category of Best Alt Rock Album of the year with his debut album. Despite signing with an indie alt-country label, Solace’s style has strayed from the pure country-folk songs that his mother has been putting out for the last twenty-five years. While having a bit more of a deconstructed sound than many of the bands up for Best Alt Rock Album this year, Will Solace’s take on alt country (or alt rock, depending on who you talk to) will surprise you. He’s not projected to win, but he’ll certainly give the other artists a run for their money.
nico @nvda
following each other for 5 months
nico @nvda
it’s crazy, right??
that article even talks about how different our styles are. why the hell would they put us in the same category?
Will Solace @willsolace
sorry i just finished reading but. holy sh*t
damn they really called us a couple of nobodys huh
nico @nvda
says the guy whos mom has three grammys
i still can’t believe that we were almost projected to win
hey your mom has probably been through this a couple of times. how do people get votes for this kind of thing?
Will Solace @willsolace
i bet if we started doing a bunch of stupid stuff on the internet, we could get more views on our socials. more views means more votes, right?
nico @nvda
ok… did u have something specific in mind? idk what you’ve heard, but not all press is actually good press, and that cowboy video i did was about as stupid as im willing to get
Will Solace @willsolace
i bet i could think of something
how much do you trust me?
Nico stood, his head and shoulders the only things in view of the camera until he raised his hand in a quick wave.
NICO
Hey, this is Nico from The Cacodemons, and Will Solace said that he doesn’t think I can sing and play the piano at the same time - and he’s mostly right about that. But I bet he can’t play Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata.
The video cut to Nico sitting at a glossy, black piano, the angle showing his profile from the waist up. Though there was no sheet music visible, Nico played the piece flawlessly.
Will smiled enthusiastically at the camera, waving as he began to speak.
WILL
Howdy, y’all, this is Will Solace, and my friend Nico said that he doesn’t think I can play a whole show wearing a clown wig.
Will lifted his hand again, this time shaking a curly, red wig for the camera to see, his confident smile still in place.
WILL
Let’s see how this goes!
The video cut to a shot of Will onstage in front of a moderately sized crowd, acoustic guitar in hand and giant clown wig atop his head. From the backstage angle of the video, it appeared as though the wig was already sliding off of his head. During a quick instrumental break in the song, Will stepped away from his microphone, approaching the edge of the stage, and only had to headbang twice before the wig went flying into the front row.
Alt Press: The Two Artists Jumping into the Spotlight Ahead of iHeartRadio’s iHeart Music Awards - But Will it Be Enough to Swing the Vote? [excerpt]
Before the beginning of this month, cacodemons were something only discussed during Intro to Mythology classes, and Will Solace was a name only known by those in country singer Naomi Solace’s inner circle. Since the announcement of nominees for the iHeart Music Awards, two artists have rocketed their way onto For You Pages across the country.
The Cacodemons, a four-piece that started as a garage band in Berkeley, California, quickly rose through the ranks of underground alternative rock bands and made their way to the top of the Ones to Watch blog. Vocalist Nico di Angelo is the embodiment of the reminder that emo never dies, taking us back to the early 2000s with a range that flows seamlessly from singing to screaming and the right kind of bad boy-look that would have had him at the front of Tiger Beat magazine. Accompanying the singer are guitarist Jason Grace, a veritable heartthrob that would cause swooning of boys and girls alike, bassist Reyna Ramirez, the epitome of if looks could kill, and drummer Hazel Levesque, whose muscles almost deserve to be named as a being of their own - the sleeper build we would all die for.
On the distant, opposite end of the alt rock spectrum - so far away, really, that it doesn’t seem right to place both artists under the same category - is Will Solace. Son of three-time Grammy winner Naomi Solace, Will is a self-proclaimed alt country artist, signed to an indie country label. It’s a wonder how anyone could confuse Solace for a rockstar, but his music has diehard rock fans questioning everything they’d ever known about music genres. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Solace has all of the southern cowboy charm that could make him the next teen idol.
Over the last two weeks, TikTok has been buzzing over videos surrounding these two artists, often tagged with #NicoSaid or #WillSaid and causing everyone’s FYP to be flooded with content from the musicians. The question becomes: Have Will and Nico always been friends, or is this simply a ploy to steal votes from some of the better known artists competing against them?
The Cacodemons @thecacodemonsband
Our Hellfire Tour has officially sold out! Thank you to everyone who bought tickets, and for everyone who didn’t get the chance this time around: keep an eye out for more dates to be added soon!
23 Replies | 145 Retweets | 9.8K Likes
nico @nvda ・ 1h
Replying to @thecacodemonsband
holy sh*t
2.4K Likes ・ Reply
Will Solace @WillSolace ・ 1h
Replying to @thecacodemonsband and @nvda
Congrats! hey, do y’all need an opener for those extra dates 👀
2.2K Likes ・ Reply
nico @nvda ・ 1h
Replying to @WillSolace
I really don’t think our fanbases have that much overlap, but we’ll keep you in mind
2.1K Likes ・ Reply
Will had only recently started dating Drew Tanaka before he was due to appear at the iHeart Music Awards, but he much preferred the idea of bringing a real date to be photographed with rather than looking like he was there as his mom’s plus one for the third year in a row. Drew was a model who had worked with Will on a recent promotional shoot, and once she realized that he was the Will in #WillSaid, she told him she would offer a few video suggestions in exchange for dinner.
Neither of them were newbies to the red carpet walk, and handled it like experts as they made their way toward the building where the ceremony was being held. They stopped to chat with a few reporters, and got a picture or two with Naomi when they happened to cross paths, but Will’s head was on a swivel, darting through the crowds in search of someone else that had to be there.
As focused as Will was on seeking out one person in particular, he found his eyes caught on Jason Grace instead - the tallest member of The Cacodemons, and the one member of the band who had yet to appear in person in any of Nico’s videos, though Will had internet stalked the band thoroughly enough to know the sight of any of its members even from across a crowded red carpet.
“They’re here!” Will cried out, grabbing Drew by the hand and pulling her through the throngs of people until he could very easily interrupt the interview that the band was participating in with a shout of, “Nico!”
One of the two shortest members of the band whipped around at the sound of his name, and Will was nearly floored by the sight of him. Nico’s hair was pulled back tightly at the base of his skull, a few of the shorter pieces framing his face. He didn’t dare take out any of his piercings or hide his tattoos, in fact choosing to show them off even more with the sleeves of his crisp, white shirt rolled up to the elbows. His pure black waistcoat hugged him in all the right ways, as did his matching slacks, and Will wanted to reach out to touch him just to make sure he was actually real, but he guided his hand to rest at Drew’s waist, instead.
“Drew, these are The Cacodemons,” Will said, practically bouncing on his toes in his excitement, and gestured to each of them as he listed off their names. Jason had kept his attention on the interview, finishing things up to give the others freedom to chat, which Will greatly appreciated. “And this is Drew, my date for the evening.”
Nico’s eyes flickered between him and Drew for a moment, his expression unreadable, until Reyna kicked him in the leg. He blurted out, “It’s nice to meet you,” his eyes lingering on Will as he added, “officially, I mean.”
“Yeah,” Will replied, and couldn’t contain himself any longer. “Do you do hugs? Can I hug you?”
Nico shifted, likely startled by Will’s forwardness with someone who was practically a stranger, but-- But they weren’t strangers, they were friends, and Nico raised his arms slightly and answered, “Sure, I can do a hug.”
Will surged forward, somewhere in the back of his mind registering the fact that Drew and Reyna and Hazel were all exchanging polite greetings, and that Jason was wrapping up the interview. But Nico even smelled amazing, and Will was quickly overwhelmed by Nico fully surrounding him, by sight and smell and touch on all sides, just Nico Nico Nico.
“Wait, I want a hug, too!” someone else exclaimed, their voice breaking through Will’s two seconds of total peace, and then Nico was being ripped out of his arms. Hazel beamed up at Will for a split second before throwing her arms around his shoulders and telling him, “It’s so great to finally meet you! I’m so glad I finally have a chance to thank you in person!”
As they pulled away from each other, Will told her, “What? You don’t have to thank me for anything.”
“People have started putting us on all sorts of lists of bands to watch out for,” Reyna said, “and we wouldn’t have gotten to this point if it wasn’t for your quick thinking when it came to social media reach.”
Will shook his head. “No, seriously, you could’ve found any other band who would’ve helped you out in the same way - y’all are awesome. I should be the one considering myself lucky that you found that cover I posted.”
“It was a great cover,” Jason jumped in, finally turning toward the rest of the group. “It was honestly a dream come true when you posted that. Nico has always wanted to write something good enough that someone else would want to cover it.” He clapped Nico on the shoulder as he spoke, and if it weren’t for the setting sun beating down on them, Will could’ve sworn that Nico blushed.
Will felt some sort of odd pressure in his chest - like he was going to throw up, or have a heart attack, or something else entirely - and he beamed. “Give me some time, and I’ll cover every song you’ve ever written. No promises on the quality of my screaming, though.”
That got a laugh out of Jason and Hazel, though Will wanted to try again and again until he could get Nico’s face to light up. Unfortunately, before he could, Drew wrapped a hand around his elbow to get his attention and said, “It looks like they’re waving everyone in - we should get going.”
Will gave her a nod, and looked back to The Cacodemons to say, “Alright, we’ll see y’all--”
“Wait,” Nico cut in, “before you go - can I get your number? I’m getting sick of opening Twitter every time I have something to tell you.”
“Sure.” Will slipped his phone out of his pocket, unlocked it, and passed it over to Nico.
He punched in his information quickly before handing it back. “Text me where you’re sitting,” Nico told him, his mouth starting to tug up at the corner, “and I’ll make sure to wave while we’re accepting our award.”
He winked, and led the charge toward the main doors with the rest of his band. Will stood frozen in his wake for a few beats too long.
“Wow, you’re just going to let him trash talk you like that?” Drew asked.
Will blinked a few times until the brain fog cleared. “Huh?”
Drew scanned his face, and offered a rare smile of her own - something that told Will that she knew something that he didn’t, and had no intention of passing that information along. “Never mind, let’s go. We’re at a table with your mom, right?”
Will spent most of the night texting with Nico. It started simply, with Will sending a picture of the stage from his table to give Nico an idea of where he was sitting, which devolved into mindless conversation from there. A stupid joke that Jason made, or the fact that Piper McLean was easily visible in the background of a selfie that Will and Drew took. They placed bets on who they thought would win each category as it was announced, and Will cheered the loudest out of anyone when Naomi won the best country album of the year.
He smiled at the camera that had appeared in front of their table when his name was announced as a nominee for best alt rock artist, and kept his phone hidden away from sight no matter how badly he wanted to keep checking for Nico’s live reactions.
He didn’t pay attention to much of anything aside from his own racing heart and Drew’s hand squeezing around his until the woman on stage announced, “And the award goes to… The Cacodemons!”
Will was on his feet in a second, cheering loudly and clapping his hands together so forcefully that they immediately started to sting - but he didn’t stop until all four members of the band had reached the microphone at the center of the stage. Will wanted to keep his eyes on Nico, but from so far away, he had to let his focus drift toward the projector screens on either side of the stage to really see the way that Nico was beaming as he held the award in his hand.
“This is… amazing,” Nico said to the room, “and we can’t thank you enough. We want to extend our thanks to our manager, our production team, and everyone who helped us to get where we are. And personally, I’d like to thank my sisters--” he gestured beside himself to where Hazel and Reyna stood, then to Jason at his other side, “--and my best friend. And, of course, I’d like to thank Will Solace, who said we couldn’t beat him to winning the first award.”
Nico held the award in the air, waving it in Will’s direction. “What are you going to do about it, Solace?”
Another round of applause rose from the room, deafening the sound of Will’s heart trying to pound its way out of his chest. Needing to keep things rolling, the ceremony moved on to the next category, but Nico’s words still echoed through Will’s mind. He pulled out his phone.
☠️ Nico ☠️
Will
oh, it’s on now
Outside, back on the red carpet, Will smiled brightly into the camera.
REPORTER (O.S.)
How does it feel to be passed up for the award you worked so hard for?
WILL
I don’t feel like I was passed up. From the moment it was announced that I was up for the alt rock category, it didn’t make sense to anyone. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to have been included, and I am still a little bummed that I didn’t win. But the right band got the award tonight, and I couldn’t be happier for them.
REPORTER (O.S.)
What does this mean for your rivalry with Nico di Angelo from The Cacodemons?
WILL
Is it a rivalry?
(laughing)
Let’s just say The Cacodemons haven’t seen the last of me.
Will Solace @WillSolace
Howdy, y’all! I’d like to introduce everyone to my favorite lesbian
[attached image ID: a selfie from the iHeart Music Awards depicting Will and Drew from the shoulders up. They are both sticking their tongues out at the camera.]
1.5K Replies | 6.7K Retweets | 43.2K Likes
Drew @drewtanaka ・ 1h
Replying to @WillSolace
What a strange way to announce that we’ve broken up.
9.4K Likes ・ Reply
Drew @drewtanaka ・ 1h
Replying to @drewtanaka
Anyways. Hey ladies.👀
12.5K Likes ・ Reply
BuzzFeed @BuzzFeed
Friend or Foe: The Rivalry Between Nico di Angelo of The Cacodemons and Solo Artist Will Solace. www.buzzfeed.com/artic…
6.5K Replies | 14.7K Retweets | 87.2K Likes
🦞 @earloflobsters ・ 1h
Replying to @BuzzFeed
not friend or foe but a secret third thing
36.4K Likes ・ Reply
Trending in Entertainment
#NicoSaid
14.8K posts
Trending in Music
#WillSaid
13.2K posts
Trending in Music
#SolAngelo
12.0K posts
Trending in Music
no.1 nico guy @plasticmammals
guys stop shipping #SolAngelo those are real people and you’re being gross
1.5K Replies | 1.3K Retweets | 5.2K Likes
solangelo4eva @targetdolphins ・ 1h
Replying to @plasticmammals
its not shipping if its real and theyre actually in love
4.3K Likes ・ Reply
no.1 nico guy @plasticmammals ・ 1h
Replying to @targetdolphins
youre insane
1.1K Likes ・ Reply
☠️ Nico ☠️
Will
hey have you been seeing all of those articles about us?
the comments are going crazy lol
Nico
theyre pretty hard to avoid at this point
Will
yeah its getting kind of out of control
i can post something to try to get people to cool it if you want?
Nico
no i think it means we have to get weirder
Will
ok deal
can i have your address?
☠️ Nico ☠️
Nico
wtf did you send me
A plain cardboard box with a USPS shipping label, sent to Nico di Angelo, though the address underneath the name had been blacked out with a thick marker. The return address listed Will Solace as the sender, that address blacked out as well.
NICO (O.S.)
What the f*ck did you send me, Will?
From behind the camera, one of Nico’s hands reached out to open the box, the tape sealing it shut already slit open. Inside the box was an oddly-shaped instrument with a turn crank on one end.
NICO (O.S.)
What the f*ck is this?
Beneath the instrument sat a folded piece of paper, Nico’s name written on one side. Nico picked up the paper and opened it. Inside, the paper reads: It’s a hurdy gurdy! I bet I finally found an instrument you can’t play -W.
nvda
#duet with ►nvda #WillSaid ... more
Nico stood in a brightly-lit room, playing an upbeat song on the hurdy gurdy with relative ease. Alongside the clip, Nico’s unboxing video from the previous week played.
Comments 51,324 | Likes 846.5K
will solace who @nightmareplanethate
new meme format just dropped #SolAngelo
[attached image ID: At a red carpet event, Will Solace stood in across from a line of photographers, his arm around the waist of Lou Ellen Blackstone, his date to the event. Rather than looking at his date or at any of the cameras, Will was looking toward the bottom corner of the image, where Nico di Angelo from The Cacodemons was speaking to a reporter, his back to Will.]
392 Replies | 7.3K Retweets | 34.7K Likes
no. 1 nico guy @plasticmammals ・ 1h
Replying to @nightmareplanethate
STOP BEING FREAKS ABOUT THESE MEN!!!!!
939 Likes ・ Reply
nico @nvda ・ 1h
Replying to @nightmareplanethate
@willsolace
[attached image ID: a horse wearing a pair of horse blinders.]
24.3K Likes ・ Reply
☠️ Nico ☠️
Nico
hey have you checked your mail recently
Will Solace @willsolace
@nvda how did you find these so fast
[attached image ID: a selfie of Will Solace wearing a pair of horse blinders, designed to fit a human head.]
881 Replies | 3,373 Retweets | 32,373 Likes
“Okay, for real,” Lou started, lounging across Will’s couch with her feet in his lap, “what’s going on between you and Nico?”
Will, who had absolutely been scrolling through The Cacodemons’ TikTok page, quickly dropped his phone. “What? Nothing.”
She dug her heel into his thigh for a second, and said, “I’m not trying to accuse you of anything. I’m just asking because the internet seems to be blowing things out of proportion way more than usual about the two of you. I mean, I’ve seen people accusing me of being a homewrecker for getting in the way of your relationship.”
“Oh, f*ck,” Will breathed, wincing in sympathy. “I’m so sorry. I-- I can post something, if you want. I know you really didn’t want any information about yourself spread around, but I can post something about how I’m dating you and not him, if that’s-- Wait.” Will paused as Lou averted her gaze. “We are dating, aren’t we?”
Lou sighed. “That’s the other thing I wanted to talk about. Will, I don’t really know how to say this, but I--”
“No, don’t,” he cut in. “I’ve actually been wanting to talk to you about something, too, and… Maybe it’ll make your thing easier to say.” He lifted Lou’s feet off of his lap and turned to face her fully, leaning forward with his eyes pointed toward the couch cushion between them. “You’re my best friend, so you know that I love you, right? So please don’t take this the wrong way, but I… I think I might be the kind of bisexual that likes men a whole lot more than I like women.”
“Oh, thank god,” Lou said, which was not what Will had been expecting to hear. “I think I’m the kind of bisexual that’s actually just a lesbian.”
A surprised laugh burst from Will. “You’re kidding. Wait, actually, can you help me write something up?”
Will Solace @willsolace
now i love lesbians as much as the next guy, but its weird for this to happen twice, right?
392 Replies | 7.3K Retweets | 64.8K Likes
Lou @louellenbs ・ 1h
Replying to @willsolace
You have got to stop announcing breakups like this
939 Likes ・ Reply
sylv @tameswans ・ 1h
Replying to @willsolace and @louellenbs
Drew and Lou Ellen have the opportunity to do the funniest thing right now
24.3K Likes ・ Reply
Nico sat on the floor, alone in a small room, likely a home music studio. An acoustic guitar sat in his lap, and he plucked nervously at the strings.
NICO
Hey, so, Will said that he doesn’t think I can play and sing at the same time, and, um. I really can’t, so we’re gonna see how this goes. This is, uh, the first song I ever learned to play.
He dropped his gaze to the guitar and started a soft and slow melody, picking away at the strings rather than strumming. After a couple of measures, he began to sing in quiet Italian, his body rocking gently back and forth as though to help him keep time.
After a few seconds, he paused, readjusting his fingers on the frets, then resumed playing. A moment later, he frowned at himself, and repeated the last phrase he’d sung with a change to the chord progression that he played. Only about a verse and one chorus into the song, Nico let it come to a natural stop.
NICO
That’s enough of that, I think.
I want to spend every day for the rest of my life goofing off with you.
Those words - the hope, that dream - played on repeat in Will’s mind as he watched Nico’s video loop over and over again.
I never want to hear anything other than the sound of your voice.
He watched each and every tiny shift in Nico’s face, the frustration that flickered over his features and the embarrassment that came in flashes at every tiny mistake.
If I could know what it’s like to fall asleep beside you and wake up to your face being the first thing I see every day, I could die a happy man.
The world stopped around him as he watched the video play over and over again on his screen, and his heart beat to the tune of I love you I love you I love you.
Lou
Will
im having a crisis
nvda
any other requests? #WillSaid ... more
Comments 21,274 ▼ | Likes 675.8K
Will Solace
ok you win
Liked by creator • 1h • Reply • ♡ 41.5K
For the first time, Will flew solo to a red carpet event. He couldn’t stomach the thought of bringing a date, even just a friend, along with him when he was so thoroughly head over heels for Nico. He had already been texting Nico for the entire day, planning what time they would each be arriving at the event with the hopes of spending as much time together as possible - at least in Will’s mind.
His manager would kill him if he didn’t spend some time getting pictures taken and speaking with a few reporters, so he made sure to get that out of the way as soon as he arrived. He had so far managed to avoid any conversation surrounding Nico, not knowing how he would handle himself without announcing his feelings to the world, but his focus on answering everything succinctly and professionally left him unaware of anyone in his immediate surroundings.
Someone bumped into his side, nearly knocking him off his feet in the middle of an interview, and if Will had been anywhere else, he might’ve snapped at them to watch where they were going.
“Sorry,” Nico said, grinning up at Will in a way that had Will’s lungs seizing. “Were you in the middle of something?”
Will felt like time should have stopped with Nico’s arrival, but the reporter clearly disagreed.
“Nico, thanks for joining us,” she jumped in before Will could say a word. “I’m glad I’ll have the chance to ask this to both of you at the same time. There’s been a lot of talk about your interactions on social media over the last year or so - do you have anything to say about the tension between the two of you?”
The smile melted off of Nico’s face, clearly unhappy with the question - or maybe the reporter’s interruption of their long-awaited reunion - if the way his nose scrunched in distaste was anything to go by.
Will wanted to kiss the wrinkles on the bridge of Nico’s nose, or the one that appeared between his eyebrows. He would settle for kissing the back of Nico’s hand, if that was all he could be allowed.
Maybe Nico wouldn’t mind a kiss. Maybe he would even encourage it. He was the one to suggest they get even weirder, after all.
“Tension?” Will repeated, and glanced to the side to meet Nico’s eyes a split second before he reached out, grabbing Nico’s face and diving forward. The last thing he saw was Nico’s eyes widening in surprise, and…something else, and Will’s heart was suddenly in his throat. At the last possible second, Will pulled Nico’s head toward his shoulder instead, hoping that it made it look like he had been going in for a hug all along.
He aimed a bright smile at the reporter and told her, “It’s all in good fun. Just a little back and forth to keep things interesting, you know?”
She looked like she was about to say something else - probably to question Will for his odd behavior - but then Nico was shoving Will away, a new kind of frustration in his expression. “I have to go catch up with my band,” he grumbled, and didn’t so much as look in Will’s direction before he stormed off.
“Anyway, about your upcoming album,” the reporter started up again, imprisoning Will in the conversation when all he really wanted to do was chase after Nico.
Once Will managed to make it inside the building, there was space without any cameras that allowed him a moment to feel like a person again before he had to return to a life of fame. Still, there were plenty of people filing in through the main doors, leaving him feeling exposed even if no one was really paying him any mind.
He moved against the flow of people, stepping into a hallway that might have led toward the bathrooms, or possibly the building’s administrative offices. He was barely five feet into the hallway when someone grabbed his hand and pulled him further down the hall, then around a corner to fully remove them from view.
When Will turned to face his captor, his stomach dropped. “Nico, I--”
Nico’s hand looped around the back of Will’s neck to yank him down, their lips colliding in an almost painful kiss. Before Will could react, Nico was pulling back and shoving Will away from him with both hands against his chest. “You’re a f*cking coward,” Nico spat, and disappeared around the corner.
no.1 nico guy @plasticmammals
why is he so.
[attached video ID: a clip of The Cacodemons stepping on stage at the VMAs to accept the award for Best New Artist. Nico’s eyes were red, and he looked more nervous to speak in front of a crowd than he ever had before. He pulled out a slip of paper, likely an acceptance speech, but started laughing before he could start to read - a high pitched, nervous giggle. He slapped a hand over his mouth to muffle the sound, looking almost panicked toward Jason, who took over accepting the award.]
725 Replies | 12.4K Retweets | 95.3K Likes
Drew @drewtanaka
we’re hotter than u
[attached image ID: a selfie of Drew and Lou Ellen. Drew is smiling softly, and Lou Ellen is kissing her cheek.]
826 Replies | 10.2K Retweets | 47.5K Likes
🦞 @earloflobsters ・ 1h
Replying to @drewtanaka
holy sh*t someboyd call will solace
4.3K Likes ・ Reply
Lou @louellenbs ・ 1h
Replying to @drewtanaka and @earloflobsters
babe who do you think introduced us
6.5K Likes ・ Reply
solangelo4eva @targetdolphins ・ 1h
Replying to @drewtanaka
ok but whats the ship name 👀
3.7K Likes ・ Reply
no.1 nico guy @plasticmammals ・ 1h
Replying to @drewtanaka and @targetdolphins
QUIT BEING A FREAK!!!!!
322 Likes ・ Reply
Hazel and Frank stood facing each other, the latter standing about a foot taller and much bulkier in build. A caption appeared on the video, reading, “I’ll miss you while we’re touring.” With the caption on screen, Hazel crouched down and wrapped her arms around Frank’s thighs, quickly and easily lifting him off the ground as he began to laugh. Another caption appeared, reading, “Told you I could lift him.”
no.1 nico guy @plasticmammals
wheres nico he hasnt posted anything dumb on any of his personal accounts recently :( even the official band account has been pretty quiet :( please does anybody have any news about my special guy :(
503 Replies | 2.4K Retweets | 15.3K Likes
solangelo4eva @targetdolphins ・ 1h
Replying to @plasticmammals
how are you going to come after all of us for shipping solangelo when youre out here calling a grown man “your special guy”
7.2K Likes ・ Reply
will solace who @nightmareplanethate ・ 1h
Replying to @mywaspcatcher and @nvda
hi im here to save your life
[attached video ID: live concert footage of The Cacodemons on stage. The video repeatedly came in and out of focus as stage lights flashed, and the camera followed Nico across the stage until he fell to his knees near the edge of the stage. The microphone cord was wrapped around his forearm multiple times, and he held the microphone with both hands as he screamed into it, seeming to use every ounce of energy in his body for that singular moment.]
5.4K Likes ・ Reply
cacodemon number 69 @sunshinelater ・ 1h
Replying to @plasticmammals and @nightmareplanethate
omg that was my show!! super bummed that we didn’t get a lot of stage banter like everyone got from the last leg of the tour, but nico was on FIRE last night!!
5.4K Likes ・ Reply
Will hadn’t touched any of his social media accounts since the VMAs. His manager had started getting on his ass for the radio silence act he’d been pulling, but Will wasn’t sure he remembered how to exist on the internet when he wasn’t goofing around with Nico. Will had assumed that Nico would need a few days to process what had happened in that back hallway - Will sure as hell needed some time on his own - but he didn’t know how he was supposed to reach out. Nico hadn’t been posting either, from what Lou had told him, so would he even want to hear from Will?
He was running out of free time in his schedule, though. His manager had given him a short break in his schedule in order to attend the VMAs, but he was due to head back out on tour by the end of the week, and if he and Nico were both criss-crossing the country and playing shows every night, then would they even be able to find the time to work all of this out?
Will finally settled on sending Nico a text, something as simple as a request to talk, but it was days before he received a response.
Too late, with Will already states away.
☠️ Nico ☠️
Nico
if we’re going to talk, it needs to be face to face
Will
i’ll make it work
send me your schedule and we can figure out a time and place
solangelo4eva @targetdolphins
ummmmm nico sighting outside the plaza hotel in nyc???
[attached image ID: a man wearing a hat, sunglasses, and facemask approaching the front doors of a hotel. The man was wearing long pants, long sleeves, and carried a backpack. The man bore no identifiable traits]
503 Replies | 2.4K Retweets | 15.3K Likes
alfred @darklordsunshine ・ 1h
Replying to @targetdolphins
holy sh*t dude don’t take pictures of strangers in public thats literally just some guy
2.4K Likes ・ Reply
STOP BEING FREAKS!!! @plasticmammals ・ 1h
Replying to @targetdolphins and @darklordsunshine
no theyre right thats literally nico
2.2K Likes ・ Reply
🦞 @earloflobsters ・ 1h
Replying to @plasticmammals and others
what how can u tell
2.1K Likes ・ Reply
STOP BEING FREAKS!!! @plasticmammals ・ 1h
Replying to @earloflobsters and others
I would know him by the shadow he casts on the ground. also the literal neck tattoo right there in the pic
2.2K Likes ・ Reply
alfred @darklordsunshine ・ 1h
Replying to @plasticmammals and others
THE SMUDGE??
[attached image ID: a grainy, zoomed-in screenshot of the previous image, with a red circle around a smudge or shadow on the man’s neck.]
2.2K Likes ・ Reply
solangelo4eva @targetdolphins ・ 1h
Replying to @darklordsunshine and others
omg guys………will is ALSO in nyc rn………
2.2K Likes ・ Reply
STOP BEING FREAKS!!! @plasticmammals ・ 1h
Replying to @targetdolphins and others
you have to stop.
2.2K Likes ・ Reply
Will felt like he hadn’t had enough time to prepare. It was like he’d been texting Nico to try to organize a time to meet one second, and the very next, there was a knock at his hotel room door.
Nico was just pulling down his mask and lowering his sunglasses when Will opened the door, and even after a red-eye flight, Nico was gorgeous. Will grabbed him by the arm without thinking and pulled him into the room, letting the door fall shut behind him.
Nico planted a hand on Will’s chest, maintaining distance between them, and breathed, “Don’t--”
“I’m sorry,” Will started to say, dropping his hand, but then Nico closed his fist around the front of Will’s shirt, dragging him back in.
“Don’t be a coward,” Nico growled, so Will dove in.
He wound his arm around Nico’s waist, drawing him in as close as possible, his other hand knocking the hat off of Nico’s head, lest it get in the way of their kiss. Nico pressed closer and closer, causing Will to stumble back until they both collided with the bed on the other side of the room.
Nico took the fall, landing against the pillows and pulling Will down on top of him, their lips barely parting for a second before they fell back into each other.
Will’s mind was numb to everything that wasn’t Nico: the pressure of his thighs as they wrapped around Will’s hips; the heat of his mouth against Will’s, then over his jaw, then down his neck; the burning trails that his hands left over Will’s skin as they slipped under his shirt and tugged it up, over his head.
He finally caught up to what was happening when he had to lean back to pull his t-shirt off the rest of the way. He stared down at Nico, spread out before him over the sheets, chest heaving and eyes blown wide. Nico was gorgeous - there was nothing in the world that could make Will think otherwise.
Nico surged forward again, one hand wrapping around the back of Will’s neck to pull him back in, but Will ducked out of his hold. “I thought you wanted to talk,” Will gasped.
“There’s time for that later,” Nico told him, and pushed himself up to chase after Will, but Will held his face, keeping him in place.
“Nico,” Will whispered. He stared into Nico’s eyes - deep and dark and filled with so many twisted, tangled emotions. “Nico, I-- I’m so sorry.”
Nico flinched, his eyes squeezing shut. “Don’t,” he said. “Don’t try to act like all of this was just a joke to you.”
“It wasn’t,” Will insisted. “I’m sorry for not realizing my feelings sooner. And-- And how was I supposed to know how you felt?”
Nico shoved him away. “Are you kidding? After everything I did-- Do you think I would do all of that sh*t for anybody? All of the stupid dares, making a fool of myself just to get your attention-- The f*cking hurdy gurdy. Where the f*ck did you even get that thing?”
Will sat back at the foot of the bed, trying to let Nico’s words wash over him, but a laugh was startled out of him. “The hurdy gurdy… I can’t believe you learned how to play it so fast.”
With a huff, Nico fell back against the pillows. “You asked me to.” He pressed his hands over his eyes, breathing deep.
Will watched him for a moment or two, unsure of what to do or say - what did he have to say to let Nico know that he was absolutely in love with him without scaring him off?
Or were those the exact words that Nico needed to hear?
Will crawled forward on the bed, laying down beside Nico, on his side but with enough space between them as he could manage. He waited, one breath, then two, and Nico dropped his hands. “You did all of that for me?”
Nico’s head tipped toward him, the look in his eyes almost annoyed, defensive.
“You didn’t have to,” Will told him softly, and Nico’s eyes dropped.
“Will--”
“You already had my attention.” Nico’s eyes flickered up again, meeting Will’s, hopeful, and Will felt a smile stretch across his face. He reached out, stroking his thumb over Nico’s cheek. “I haven’t had eyes for anyone but you since the day you put on that cowboy hat and sang one of my songs for me. Maybe I didn’t realize it then, but I have been in love with you, Nico di Angelo, for longer than I can say.”
Nico’s breath caught, and when he spoke, the words barely came out: “I love you.”
will solace who @nightmareplanethate
an investigation into nico and will’s secret nyc rendezvous, a collaboration with @targetdolphins: (1/?)
[attached image ID: a photo of Jason, Hazel, and Reyna, seated at a table in the outdoor seating area of a restaurant, each of them smiling at the camera.]
503 Replies | 2.4K Retweets | 15.3K Likes
sylv @tameswans ・ 1h
Replying to @@nightmareplanethate and @targetdolphins
wow you guys really have nothing better to do huh.
7.2K Likes ・ Reply
Nico hovered over him, his hair loose and hanging like a curtain around their heads, blocking Will’s view of anything but Nico’s beautiful face.
Will wouldn’t want to look anywhere else, anyway.
“I have to get dressed,” Nico said, lowering himself for a kiss.
“I’m not stopping you,” Will pointed out. He smiled into another kiss, and another, and his arms wound around Nico’s back as he laid himself on top of Will.
Nico pressed his lips to Will’s jaw, his throat, the shell of his ear. “You should be.”
“You have a flight to catch,” Will reminded him, his legs tangling with Nico’s. “You have a show tonight, and so do I.”
He buried his face in the side of Will’s neck, his entire body going lax. “I don’t want to leave. I feel like we’ve barely had a chance to talk about this.”
Will grinned, his arms tightening around Nico. “And whose fault is that?”
“Yours.” Nico pushed himself back, his hands flat on Will’s chest and his knees bracketing Will’s hips. “Look at you. How am I supposed to walk away from this face?”
“You’ll be back,” Will reminded him, his hands resting over Nico’s thighs, gentle strokes of his thumbs over the skin. “I will always come back to you. Name a time and place, and I’ll be there.”
Nico traced the tip of his finger over the thick lines of the tattoo on Will’s chest. “What do we do about… everyone else? I mean, are we telling people? The entire internet already thinks we’ve been together all along.”
Will shrugged. “Let them think whatever they want. We know the truth, and we can tell whoever we want. At this point, I think I could kiss you on live TV, and all of Twitter would still think that we’re just goofing around.”
“Do you…” Nico frowned. “Do you not want to tell anyone?”
Will reached up, brushing his thumb over Nico’s lower lip as he held Nico’s jaw. “Baby, I want to tell the world how much I love you. But I think we could still have some fun with it - only if you wanted to.”
Nico raised an eyebrow. “Did you have something in mind?”
Will grinned. “How much do you trust me?”
The Cacodemons were spread out across the stage, taking a quick water break in between songs. Nico, with the cord of his microphone wound around his arm, marched out to center stage, and knelt down to address a fan in the pit.
NICO
Are you filming? Yeah? Do me a favor and send this one to Will for me.
The band started to play, fast-paced and heavy - a cover of “All For You,” one of Will’s most popular songs.
cacodemon number 69 @sunshinelater
SOLANGELOS ARE YOU SEEING THIS????
[attached video ID: The Cacodemons playing a live cover of “All For You” by Will Solace.]
503 Replies | 2.4K Retweets | 15.3K Likes
Will Solace @willsolace ・ 1h
Replying to @sunshinelater
@nvda why do you only do this when you know i’m not there?
7.2K Likes ・ Reply
Will sat down on a couch, an acoustic guitar in his lap, and smiled at the camera.
WILL
Howdy, y’all, it’s been a while! I’ve been pretty busy on tour these last few months, but I’m excited to say that it’s time to get back into some weekly covers! I’ve got a few suggestions from the last time--
NICO (O.S.)
Are you starting without me? What the f*ck!
Nico walked in from the edge of the frame, joining Will on the couch and leaving minimal space between them as he sat criss-cross on the cushion.
WILL
Wouldn’t dream of it, darlin’. Did you have a song you wanted to start with?
NICO
What, do you not come prepared for these things? What kind of TikToker are you?
WILL
(laughing)
Would you pick a song off the list already so we can get this thing rolling?
Nico picked up a slip of paper from the coffee table in front of them, pointed at one for Will to see, and Will started strumming. Will began to sing, and a moment later, Nico joined in with a perfect harmony, swaying gently to the beat of the song. Their eyes met, matching smiles growing across their faces as they sang together, to each other.
STOP BEING FREAKS!!! @plasticmammals
ok i watched the tiktok and i think i get it now.
1.4K Replies | 3.9K Retweets | 36.2K Likes
