Nico felt like he should talk to Will. After all, he and Percy had shared a pretty intense exchange the previous night.
Nico knew he loved Will, and that Percy was his past. He'd finally accepted that they weren't meant to be, and that Percy loved Annabeth.
Why the need to clear his conscience? He really didn't know.
That brought he and Will to Long Island Sound where they'd shared their first kiss the evening before.
The day was partly cloudy, and the sky mostly gray. Nico hoped it wasn't an Apollo omen...
"Why'd you want to talk here Nico?" Will asked.
"I like it here," Nico said, looking distant as he gazed out at the ocean.
Will could tell something was wrong with his boyfriend.
"What's wrong babe?" he asked gently.
"Nothing really wrong," Nico replied honestly enough. "Well actually...I do feel like something is a little off in the Underworld. That's been bothering me since early this morning..."
"That's not what you wanted to talk about," Will ventured knowingly.
"No," Nico agreed with a ironic smile. "I've known something's off in the Underworld for months. Someone escaped when the Doors of Death were open, and they haven't managed to bring him back..."
Will looked uneasy at that, but Nico pressed on.
"You're right its not that though. Percy and I talked last night. It came around to my sexuality, and things got a little tense."
"Tense?" Will asked strangely.
"Well he said you'd better treat me right," Nico chuckled.
Will smirked at that and wrapped an arm around Nico, pulling him close.
"No worries there," he muttered softly.
Nico hummed pleasantly and lay his head against Will's shoulder.
"I know," Nico said gently. "It just turns out that Percy's bi, and said he could've loved me."
Will tensed, but he didn't throw Nico off of him or anything, which meant he was still listening.
"What did you say?" he asked with a slight crack in his voice.
"You doubt me?" Nico asked softly. "I told him I loved you."
Nico looked straight into Will's eyes as he said that. His eyes told the truth.
Will smiled and leaned in for Nico's lips. Their second kiss...
Their lips clashed fervently, and then when either of them hardly expected it- their mouths opened together, and their tongues met in a sensual dance.
Nico moaned into the kiss, and Will smiled, gently pulling back with his hand under his boyfriend's chin.
"I love you," Will told him.
Nico looked down shyly.
"Its funny," he mumbled. "This would have been so wrong in my time."
"Yet is it wrong?" Will asked in disbelief. "Those people were wrong Nico! Tell me that what you feel for me is wrong..."
"No you're right," Nico agreed, smiling ironically. "I do love you, and I know love can't be wrong. Hell...Cupid is the god of love. He isn't wrong..."
Will smirked at that and lay his head against Nico's shoulder.
Nico sighed and closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of Will close. Then it happened...
Something intruded into his being like he'd been slapped.
His eyes jerked open suddenly, feeling like someone dead was close by.
Will eyed him with a worried expression, then looked past him, a look of total disbelief on his face.
Nico looked at what Will was looking at.
There was someone struggling up the beach, leaning on a sword like it was a cane. They both recognized that sword...
Half celestial bronze, half steel...
The one using it to support himself was dressed in extremely tattered clothes. His jeans had rips in the denim, while his t-shirt was still barely in one piece.
The demigod looked up at them. Nico's mouth fell open. The face was still just as handsome as the day he'd died a few years ago...
Luke Castellan...son of Hermes...