I haven't seen Nico all day and I was getting worried. It was never a good sign when he disappeared like this. I was still afraid he would use his powers and hurt himself.
I got out of the infirmary when my shift was over and got into the mission of trying to find Di Angelo again. It was not the first time. Actually, it has been quite normal for the past month. He would just wake up one morning and be gone for the day until I or Hazel find him somewhere out in the woods. Last time we actually fought about this. He screamed bloody murder to me about me pushing his buttons when I tried to make him talk with me about it (again). So I sweared to the gods that I would not try to make him talk if he didn't want.
But I still had to find him. He couldn't be alone… I couldn't let him be alone when he's feeling like that.
I grabbed my bow and arrow and start sprinting to the woods. I don't like to be on the woods alone. After two wars you kind of start to get all these flashbacks. And it's not like I have seen pretty things on the war. But Nico needed someone. So I did this every time he needed.
I already knew where he hides when he's like this so I just runned to there. It was between some big rocks and near a tree. When I got close I could hear him cry and my heart just stopped. I hate seeing him like this.
"Nico?" I called low. "Nico? It's Will…Are you alright?"
"I'm f-f-fine."
I could feel him not fine even from distance. Quickly I pass the two rocks and kneeled before him. He seemed to be trying to forge himself with the tree, his face hid on his legs and shaking so much that my heart started to run a mile.
He wiped some tears away but still wasn't looking at me. He needed something. He needed comfort.
"Nico? Can I hold you?" I knew how he was. I didn't want him to resent me now. "Would you feel better if I did it?"
I see him nodding slowly and I got even more near him and slowly hugged him. I could feel each part of him shaking. He was not okay.
"Shh.. Just breath…"
It was all I could say to him right now. I couldn't say it would be alright cause we knew it was a lie. He wouldn't be alright. Not if he bottle up like this.
"Breath slowly…"
I feel him hugging me back slowly like he was afraid. But I could feel him trying to breath.
"That's it… Just breath and you'll feel a little better…"
"O-o-okay…"
I got the urge to kiss his hair and that's what I did.
"You can talk with me if you want to…" I kissed his dark hair lightly. "I'm here for you if you need me…"
He nods slowly and I feel my shirt getting wet but I didn't care. He was letting go of all of the emotional crap he was carrying on for so long.
"Alright… Than-thank you…"
"Do you want something? Water? Nectar?" I look at him worried. I could see his face full of tears and i gently wiped them with my thumb.
"No. I'm fine."
I looked at him serious. Was he really giving me that again?
"You're far from fine." I signed. "But I promised the gods that I would not push your buttons again. So I'm doing it, so you will not be mad at me again. And I'll be just here, like I have been all these months and when you're ready to talk I'm going to listen because I'm your friend.
He looked at me like I was growing another head but then I felt him hugging me closer.
"Okay" He nods. " Thank you, Will. It's just that… It has been happening so much stuff for a while and I couldn't take everything anymore…"
"I know… I know…" I let go of him slowly but I sit in front of him grabbing his hands. "You can't bottle up, Nico… If you don't want to talk then just go for a run or come here and just scream your lungs out. But just- just don't bottle up… I hate seeing you like this.
"Okay…"
He looked down and my heart broke a little more.
"I'm sorry you had to see me like this in the first place."
I looked at him shocked and grabbed his face making him looking at me. Those eyes… Good Zeus.
"Hey don't say that! Nico… Don't say sorry. I'm your friend. That's why i'm here for….
"Don't. Just don't okay?" I looked him in the eyes. " Don't feel bad. You're one of the most important people in my life…
Nico looked at me surprised and I had a urge to roll my eyes.
"I- I am?
I shaked my head.
"Of course you are, you dumbo! You don't even…
I blushed a little and I see him looking at me curious.
"Well nevermind." I said quickly.
"I don't even what?"
I breathed slowly not knowing what I could say to him.
"You- You don't even know how much I feel about you. "I murmur.
"I don't…? Well then again I was quite oblivious earlier…
I blush even more. What did he meant by that?
"Y-y-you know I thought we were talking about how YOU feel. Not me."
Well that would probably work.
But Nico was looking at me with those amazing brown eyes and I felt like something was stuck on my throat.
"Are you really that oblivious?" I blurted out but blushing like hades. But yes. It was Nico we were talking about.
"I really don't understand what you're talking about." He looked a little frustrated. "Come on Will, you tell me to not bottle up and now you're the one keeping things?"
I looked at him feeling kind of pissed.
"You're the one who can't communicate your feelings!"
"Excuse me?"
And here we go.
Cause Will Solace and Nico di Angelo can't pass a day without bickering.
Sometimes I'm just done with us.
"Yes. You keep shoving me away and I swear to the god, di Angelo. One day you'll see that I just want you to be okay and to feel okay but no. You don't trust me.
I was pissed.
"Of course I trust you!" He wasn't sad anymore he was kind of pissed and confused. And looking so cute. "I trust you more than I trust everyone!"
"Well isn't that say not much?" I retorqued with irony. "It's not like you trust everyone. You just stand around looking adorably pissed and with all these vibe that you think it's frightening but it just makes me want to kiss the hell out of you and-" I stop talking. Oh my good Hermes. What did I just say?
I didn't know where to hide. And Nico just stand there looking at me and blinking a lot.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing!" I said quickly.
"Well, so how's the oblivious dumbo now?"
And in a really not Nico way, Nico freaking di Angelo grabbed my t-shirt and just kissed me.
And I swear to all the greek and roman gods that I was feeling drunk with nectar.