This will be a three chapter short story.
Trigger Warning
-death
-gore
-suicidal thoughts
-depression
As time heals us...
The battle was all around them and they were surround them. Nico couldn't see through the smoke as he tried to find Will. Tears in his eyes, not really from worry but from the sulfur and dust clouding his eyes. This was unexpected, unwarranted even. They were supposed to have normal lives now! They were doing fine in the normal world until Chiron called them back for this battle, knowing he didn't have enough reinforcements to cover the ground. The party ponies were doing their best and Percy was taking the coastline of the battle to put his powers to better use. We were gaining ground on that side because of it, plus Annabeth by his side meant anything was possible.
Nico wasn't anywhere near the fading point but his energy was waning as his Stygian sword seemed heavier than it ever had, as blood soaked it to the hilt as he took down monsters that Tartarus had never given birth to before now. Stronger, faster, more brutal than ever. Where was everyone, the only comfort he took was bolts of lightning flashing in the sky as he new Jason was still alive, working his powers to cover them. A sharp piercing sound filled the air as Nico looked to the left to find it knowing that ear bleeding whistle anywhere. Running in that direction he saw him, blue eyes focused on his target. The heat began to rise in the air as Leo was incinerating the enemy around them to the point of making Nico realize his hair smelled like burn chicken, he had been singed. Leo must have been burning in Kelvin range. As heavy as his exhausted legs were they kept running, running towards Will.
Ten feet he just needed to get ten feet and he could travel them to the coastline where the line of Fire was weaker and they could be more help.
9 feet.
8...7...6...5... boom!
A large sword ripped inside of Will Solace's Torso from behind lifting him off the ground. Nico used the shadows to pull him higher as he jumped and whirled around swinging the inky darkness of his weapon and burst the hellish monstrosity to gold dust with a single swipe to decapitate. Falling down and twisting his leg he found Will still bleeding on the ground choking on his own blood.
"No! No no no Will! Baby nonono!"
Grabbing him tightly he wrapped the shadows around him to pull them both into the familiar and loving darkness that Nico so embraced. Landing in the medical tent outside the battlefield he found it empty. Where was everyone! Kayla! Austin! Someone! Where were they!
Will was still awake though, still bleeding heavily. Nico ripped his shirt off and put pressure on the wound. Reaching in Will's pack around his waist he found the ambrosia. Popping it into Wills mouth he tried to chew it. Coughing up more blood most the the ambrosia spat itself out. Spitting out the remainder of blood and ambrosia, holding Nico's hand for dear life.
"Will please baby, let me just try to get another square in. Maybe some nectar! I'm sure we have some in here or unicorn draught. Tell me what to do!"
"Baby you can't... nothing .. it's over."
"No! No it's not just tell me.. p-please! "
"Before I coughed it up ::::cough wheeze:::: it tasted like you. Like that spot below your ear when I kiss and wake you up in the morning. "
Nico was drowning in his tears hoping and praying to every god that could help. Pleading with Apollo to save his son.
"Nico please stop. Just.. just h-hold me. I'm s-scared."
"I'm here! Stay! Please! Stay for me!"
Grabbing on both sides of Wills face he kissed him never minding the blood.
"I love you please don't leave me! Stay just stay! Please! It's my fault! We shouldn't have come! Just stay! I need you please!"
"Nico please! I need you to promise me! Promise me you w-will move on ok!? Don't hide away. You are so b-beautiful and special, you have made me so h-happy. Don't lock yourself away!" Will's voice was getting weaker as he spoke.
"I can't live without you!"
"Yes you can. You will see me again I promise I won't be r-reborn until I see you again. I'll wait for you. Just don't wait for me! Not while you're alive. P-please Nico. I need you to l-live. Promise me!"
"I-I p-pro-promis-promise. I'll try. I love you, God's I love you so much!"
"Nico I have and always will love you. I lo..." a low hiss escaped him.
Wills last breath shuttered and he fell still, eyes still open and mouth agape. Sounds of the war around them falling silent as Nico's world came crashing down. Never letting go of his loves body a Visceral cry rang out for no one knew how long. Time passed and Nico had no measurement of it. Just tears and screaming.
Warm arms wrapped around him from behind and before Nico registered who it was a pale hand was prying Nico's away from Wills body. Nico knew that hand.
Hades.
Turning himself around he attached himself inside his fathers soul covered robes. Scratching down the Gods skin in tears begging him to bring him back. Screeching and drooling, desperate.
"I can't son. I wish, I wish so badly I could. I'm so sorry."
"Please..." Nico let out in a wheezy whisper, voice shot and raw. "Anything, I'll give you anything."
"I know you would and if I could ask you for it in exchange for William I would. But you my son more than anyone knows that this is the way of life. Just know how much he loved you, know he's at peace. I made sure he went to paradise."
"Promise me he's in Elysium ."
"No, Williams soul is a courageous one. This was not his first life but his third. All full of noble deeds and heroics. William made it to the isles of blessed. As my son when you pass you will be allowed to join him, but only if you life your full life Nico. Only if you die naturally. Do not take your own life to be with him because that's the one exception."
Nico thought bitterly cradled in his father arms. Of course there would be that concern. Ashamed he buried himself further in his fathers chest mourning. Nico's father knew him to well, of course he would put in the amendment. It crossed his mind a million times since he saw the love of his life gutted. Wanting to join him in his afterlife. The only soothing balm holding Nico to his promise was the Will was in not only paradise, but the best paradise the underworld had to offer.
***time break***
(After the war)
Nico was going through shrouds in the camp attic. Finding the appropriate one for each of the fallen. It was still his duty to perform the rites. Hands Falling on the shroud of Apollo his knees buckled as he held it close to his chest. There would never be enough tears for his fallen William. They never seemed to dry up. Holding his fathers promise in his heart was the only thing keeping him from destroying himself and everyone around him. A creak of the door startled him. Not even bothering to look up from the shroud he held so tightly, a body kneeled next to him. Holding a white shroud with a red Dove embroidered on the front. Looking up he saw the forlorn and tear stained face of Jason Grace. Lost in his own grief he hadn't truly registered whom else had fallen.
"Piper."
Jason shook his head as his lip quivered.
"S-she really liked you ya know."
"Ha well (sniff) she liked Will better."
"Everyone liked Will better."
Nico laughed, he actually laughed. Sweet Jason. The first real person Nico trusted and that trusted him back that wasn't family. Superman always knew what to say. To an outsider it would have looked like a mean comment but to Nico it was an adorable inside joke.
Jason reached out to hug Nico from behind. Jason had taken to doing this through the years when Nico was sad due to his not wanting anyone to see him be emotional, yet still needed the physical contact.
"I-I can't. I can't do it. Someone else needs to."
"Nico we have to. I'm here ok? The burial fires are tomorrow, you need to prepare him, and I need to prepare her."
"I'm not strong enough!"
"Yes you are! We have to be!" Jason said with more authority than he realized.
"You have to be the last one to touch him." Jason completed in a whisper.
***timebreak***
Wills body looked fake. Like wax. Like a doll. Unreal and so real at the same time. Nico brought out the bowls and sat them on the counter. Taking the jars of oils he poured them into each. Clove, Bergamot, and olive. In each oil a sprinkling of herbs. Poppyseed, lavender, powdered pomegranate, dried hyacinth, yellow daisy petals. Mixing the oils and herbs he took each one by one and anointed and prepared his lovers body. Salt laced with the falling tears of his grief. Each oil and herb representing not only Will but Nico as well. In death they would still be imbued in eachother. Nico plucked a Stygian Iron ring out of his pocket. Hands shaking he slid it onto Wills left hand ring finger.
"I was saving it, for when we got home. I was stupid. I should have asked you before we came out here, but I was to nervous. Not that you would say no, but that you would say yes. It felt heavy in my pocket. The idea that not only I could ask you but it would be truly recognized hadn't truly connected yet. But the minute you stopped breathing it's all I wanted more than anything. It never occurred to me that you wouldn't be coming home with me. I still feel like I'm going to go home and you are going to just be sitting on the couch and this would all just be a sick fucking joke. I don't want to sleep in our bed and roll over to find you not there. I don't want to not trip over your shoes in the hallway. I want to fight with you again, we had great fights."
Nico was massaging the oils and herbs deeper into Wills skin as he gave him his last words.
"I know you hate Bergamot. I did it on purpose. Stupid right? Even after all this I am still trying to piss you off. As if you would just hop up and yell at me for using this one. I put two coins under your tongue. I know you only need one but maybe Charon will be nicer if you give him two. Chiron told your mother that you were in a car accident, the Hecate cabin sent an enchanted copy of you to Texas... I'm so Fucking mad at you! I know that's stupid but... I am. How could you just leave me here alone. I need you. I need you and you just, left.
I promised myself I wouldn't contact you right away. I need some more time. If I do it now I'll just yell and I really don't want our first contact after this to be yelling. Everyone says I'm lucky because I can call upon you, but they don't understand the feeling. It almost worse. Almost worse than not being able to contact at all. Sure other people might get closure from it but... how could I ever get closure from you. I'll never love anyone like I love you. Please don't forget about me. Please keep your promise to wait for me. I can't promise you that I'll move on. Not yet at least. But I'll never, ever, ever forget you William Solace." Ending his supplication he kissed the oiled still lips. Sealing his promise to never forget.
***time break***
The next days passed like hours. Full of incoherent thought and out of body experiences. Just tearstained emotionless staring as Wills and the other fallen burned on the pyre. Eventually Nico realized he needed to go back to their apartment. It was hard enough sleeping in the hades cabin. That was their first real home. Yet when he stepped into the apartment Nico almost fell to his knees. Like walking through jello. Nico couldn't face the bed yet but seeing the closet made him lose it. It wasn't the silent tears and dissociative states he had been in, this was a hysterical fit that only happens when you were alone. Unable to breathe, searing chest pain, exhausting heaving that breaks your very soul in half as he clutched and smelled Wills shirts. It was to much..it hurt to much. So much worse than any physical pain he had ever endured. Almost at the brink of his breaking point a calm voice entered his mind.
"You have one hour. Use it wisely. It will be the last and only time. You are worth breaking rules for."
Looking behind him a spectral form appeared and took slight solidity... then fully solid.
Maria Di Angelo.
To be continued ...