Disclaimer: It's all Rick Riordan's.

Nico went obediently to the infirmary, but he rolled over and pretended to be asleep every time he heard Will coming to check on him. He knew Will was too principled of a healer to ever hurt him physically, but he could do without hearing that his new crush hated him.

On the third day, Will approached Nico's bed and said, "You know I can sense that you're not actually sleeping, right?"

Nico rolled back to face Will and opened his eyes. "You can?"

"Yeah," said Will. "And I'm sorry for being so forward earlier, but I swear we can be friends and it doesn't have to be weird."

Nico frowned. "But you hate me."

"No I don't! What gave you that idea?"

"I let Octavian die!"

Will sighed. "He needed to go, Nico. Even I could tell that."

Nico fidgeted. "Besides, I killed a demigod in cold blood once."

Nico expected a horrified gasp, but all Will said was, "When?"

"Octavian sent a guy after Reyna and me. I turned him into a ghost."

Will whistled under his breath. "You will never stop impressing me."

"You're not mad?"

"I'm sure he needed to die. These things happen when we have to defend ourselves," Will said.

"So you don't hate me?" Nico asked, just to make sure.

"No! Of course not! Are you sure you don't hate me?" Will asked.

"Why would I ever hate you?" Nico asked.

Will looked at the ground and mumbled, "For being too forward."

"What does that even mean?" Nico asked.

Now Will stared at the wall. "I—I'm bisexual, all right? And I, um, I like you. But we can be friends. We can definitely be friends! This doesn't have to make things weird at all. I know how to be friends with people I like and not make it weird."

Nico stared at Will. "You like me?"

"Yeah. I thought that was pretty obvious."

"Would you kiss me right now?" Nico asked.

"What?"

"Please?"

"But—you're straight, right?"

Nico laughed. "Not a straight bone in my body."

"I could name several, actually, but—"

"Kiss me?"

Will did.