Nico walked into Cabin 13 and sighed, flopping himself down on the bed. Will had forced him to go to a get together with some friends, so he had his fill of social interaction for today. He groaned as he slowly got up to change, peeling off his long sleeve shirt as he went. Nico glanced at the scars on his arms before heading towards the dresser to pull out a comfortable hoodie.
It happened before he could process it. There was a light knock on the door and Will's smiling face peered in. He opened the door all the way, "Hey Nico, you wouldn't happen to have my hoodie, would you?"
Nico quickly hid his arms behind his back, so his self-inflicted scars weren't showing. Will must have seen the sudden movement. "I see my jacket behind your back," he said, teasing. Nico's expression shifted from shocked, to horrified. Will noticed this change and closed the door. "Hey, it's ok. I'm not mad. Nico, what's wrong?" He started walking towards Nico, his face beginning to show more and more signs of concern. "Nico?"
The younger boy threw the hoodie out in front of him quickly, then hiding his arms once again. Will looked his crush up and down, looking for any more causes for worry. What he saw was the scrawny boy he had fallen for, shirtless and covered in scars from old battles with monsters and not-quite-healed wounds from the war with Gaea. He inched even closer, gently grabbing the hands behind Nico's back and searched for what ever he was hiding in them. He finds nothing. Will holds Nico's skinny arms out in front of him, his eyes widened. "Nico, why didn't you ever tell me?" Nico turned around and gripped his dresser, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. The blonde turned him around slowly and hugged him so his head was laying on Will's chest. He stroked his black hair and whispered a concerned, "oh, Nico."
Will pulled away slightly so he could look at him. His eyes went from Nico's tear streaked face down to the scars on his arms. He studied every one, from the faint white lines to the puffy pink scars that must have taken several weeks to heal. He kissed each one of them, and then the boy's lips. Will only lasted a few seconds before tears began to fall down his own face. "I love you Nico. I love you so much." He looked him in the eyes, studying his face worryingly.
Nico didn't expect this. Someone like Will, who was perfect in every way, who could do things he couldn't even dream of… Will loved him. Broken, scarred Nico. The same boy who couldn't even compare the the perfect being holding him. Nico pulled away and stared into his striking blue eyes, now filled with care. At this moment that care was for Nico, and Nico alone. "Will…" he choked out, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. "Thank you." The onslaught of tears came and Will pulled him into another warm hug.
He picked his hoodie up off the ground and put it on Nico. "Here, you keep it. Do you want to talk about it?" The boy shakes his head and Will presses his forehead against his, "Ok, but tell me if anything is bothering you." He places a kiss on Nico's lips.
Will slowly picked Nico up and carried him to the bed before laying down next to him. He stroked Nico's hair as the boy began to fall asleep. It struck him. He had forgotten to say it back. "Will.. I love you too…" He said, as he began to close his eyes. Will only smiled and pressed his lips to the boy's forehead before falling asleep as well.