"Oh, Nico," I gasped, watching him stumble into the white room, the door creaking as he opened it. He limped on his right foot, and tightly clutched his side. I immediately dropped the gauze I was holding, and rushed over to the son of Hades. Placing my hand on the back of his black shirt, I began to guide him through the hospital. He winced at the light touch. "Sorry, sorry," I yelped quietly, solicitous about his condition.
"No.. Sunshine, I'm okay," a weak smile masked the boy's face for a short second, only to be overcome with great pain. I moved his dark hair out of his face, looking into his eyes.
I helped him sit him down on the cot, supporting him to take some of the weight off his feet. As I lifted his black shirt of with careful fingers, I gulped in alarm. He had a long cut across his side and chest, bleeding heavily. Small burns, drops of lava, dotted his flesh. Underneath years of scars and disfigurements, Nico's pale body was thin and frail, like he'd starved himself. Nico what happened? You need real medical help."
"I slipped and fell off the climbing wall and got showered with lava." He sighed and looked helplessly into my eyes.
"Stay here, let me get you ambrosia." Nico didn't argue like he usually would, he just watched at I swiftly walked to the cupboard where the healing food was kept. "Eat this." I held the square to his mouth, and he took a soft bite. He didn't let any of the delicious crumbs fall to the tiled floor.
"Will, thank you." He watched as the injury closed to a sore scar, and his burns reduced to bright red discolorations and respectably sized blisters. "Can I leave now?"
"You're welcome, Death Boy," I smirked, and bent down to probe Nico's foot. "You can't leave though. Your ankle, it's sprained. It's getting better with the ambrosia, but you need to rest here for the night, at least."
He groaned, "Again?"
"You have to stay with a doctor like me until I clear you." I was getting tired of confining him to the bed, I felt horrible, but he kept getting hurt.
Nico looked up at me from his place on the bed. "Then come with me, Sunshine." He smiled optimistically.
The plea was impossible to decline. I glanced at the clock. 8:52 PM. There were three hours left in my shift. "Kayla, if I leave to take care of Nico, will you cover for me?"
"Of course," she said with a suggestive wink and a giggle.
"Thanks! Let's go, Di Angelo." Cautiously, I rested my arm around his burned shoulders, and together, we quickly walked to Cabin 13. The whole journey took about ten minutes, and the entore time, I studied Nico's sparkling eyes.
When we arrived at the obsidian house, he opened the door, and hobbled inside. It was difficult for me to watch him in that much discomfort when I, as a doctor, was suppose to make him feel better. Even after the ambrosia, the boy was obviously in agony. He could barely retire to the couch without moving his leg wrong, or bumbing into something with his charred skin.
"Nico," I grabbed his arm to help him off the furniture, and lead him into the bathroom. "Sit up here, on the counter."
"Will, please."
"Let me help you, doctor's orders." And at that, he obliged. He pushed himself up with a grin, until he was perched on the marble countertop, next to the sink. I quickly searched through the cupboards and found a plushy black washcloth, embroidered with white skulls. My eyes never left Nico's as I dampened the cloth under the faucet, then held it to his burns to sooth them. "You okay?" I asked. I knew they had gotten a lot better in the hour since the accident, but there were still many puffy red spots.They cleary hurt Nico much more than he was letting on.
"I'm fine, but-" I interrupted him with a soft kiss. On the lips. After a short second of perplextion, I could sense him relaxing. Sitting where he was, he had a slight height advantage, and he pulled me into a tight embrace, our lips never parted. His legs wrapped themselves around my waist, and I dropped the towel. Nico's heart was beating intensely against me, and I his mouth was forming a smile. I lifted him from the counter. Then he flinched again, and I pulled back.
"I'm sorry Neeks, I didn't mean to hurt you."
"I told you, I'm fine." He didn't look fine. He looked damaged. On the inside and out.
"What can I do to make it better?" I asked, calm and sweet. He stared at me, as if I had asked a stupid question.
"Shut up and kiss me, Solace." Nico closed his eyes and pressed his lips to mine, harder this time. More passionate. I shifted my hands to his still bare shoulders, letting the shorter boy down to his own feet.
We lingered like that for a few moments, then hesitantly pulled away to catch our breaths. I reached out and took both of Nico's hands, interlocking our fingers. We stood, leaning against each other. We ventured to the center of the cabin. He examined my face and whispered quietly, "I love you, Sunshine." He bit his lip nervously, anticipating my response.
"Death Boy, I love you too." I had never seen Nico more carefree than in that moment. The happiness nearly killed both of us. It was like we were finally complete together. Nico was delighted.
I dropped his hands and took a seat on his matress. He came and sat next to me after I patted the bed next to myself and sent a flirtatious smile in his direction. The bed seemed to pull him in as he threw himself backwards. Those walnut brown eyes twisted with discomfort and suffering, but I brought them back to normal by kneeling over the demigod and smashing our mouths together once again.
I stopped and fell beside Nico, hearing a disappointed sigh. "How are you doing, Death Boy? Does it hurt any less?"
"It helps that you're here." I couldn't see in the dark, but I'm sure he was smiling. I grinned as well.
" Does it still hurt?" I asked once again.
"Yeah."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's better since earlier, it really is, you helped, Will."I gave him a stern look, he didn't give a fulfilling answer. "It still burns a little."
"It'll be gone to tomorrow or the next day." I tried to give Nico reassurance, though it was probable that he would always have scars to remember the day.
He rolled over on top of me. "I promise, it's not that bad." I doubted that. "Trust me, I'm fine."
I felt a finger run over my cheeks as Nico traced my freckles, connecting the dots. It was a nice sensation. He strained his arm down the bed, grabbing a black comforter.
"You cold, Di Angelo? I'll warm you up," I said, laying us both on our sides and hugging him tightly. We faced each other, sharing a pillow and warm blankets. I could feel him shivering, and wrapped myself around him, as close as I could get.
"Goodnight, Sunshine," I heard him mumble, half asleep.
"Goodnight, Death Boy."
In seconds, he was unconscious, tired from the day's events and injuries that left him drained of energy. I fell asleep listening to him breath, our limbs tangled.