Sunshine and Darkness
(Two weeks after the battle with Gaea)
August
Nico
"Do you even realize how far behind you are on your vaccinations? If I don't do my job as a healer, and you get meningitis and die, how do you think I'll feel?" the son of Apollo dashed around the infirmary, filling needles and gathering antibacterial cloths.
"Relieved?" the son of Hades harbored a guess. He hovered in the doorway, but then walked to the closest cot and sat down.
"No, Death Boy." The name was something Nico hated for anyone to say. Nico grunted and looked away.
Will stood above Nico with a syringe. "Arm."
Nico rolled his eyes and pulled up his black sleeve after removing his jacket. He didn't flinch when the needle sunk into his upper arm.
"That'll work for chicken pox. We'll have to do the rest later, I can't give you too many at once. Really, it's a miracle you're not dead." Will grinned as he disposed of the needle into the biomedical box attached to the wall.
Nico looked up at Will, who refused to blink.
"How many shots can I get at once without dying?" Nico asked.
Will narrowed his eyes. "If I won't let you shadow-travel, what are the chances of us testing that?"
"You said it was a miracle that I'm not dead. You never know, I could get cholera or lupus and die."
"That's a chance I'm willing to take. I doubt that you'll get cholera within the next few days, and I'd rather not kill you by overdose."
"You know, for being a literal ray of sunshine, you're a real downer." Nico smirked.
"I'm the overprotective one, let me live up to my own standards, Death Boy."
"What's with that nickname? Are you that kind of boyfriend?" Nico teased. He nearly bit his tongue off, realizing that he had called Will his boyfriend.
Will caught his blunder. "You called me your boyfriend," Will said, the corners of his eyes scrunching up.
Nico stiffened slightly. "Slip of the tongue."
"No one's tongue slips that much. We have been seeing a lot of each other."
"Yes. And?"
"So, have you thought about being a couple? You seem to like spending time with me." Will looked anxious, too; he kept twisting the corner of his orange shirt. He kept his self assured smile on, but it looked forced.
"That's because I do, you snob!" Nico muttered, glaring up at Will.
Will smirked. "Is that a yes?"
A relationship with Will. A month ago, if someone had suggested that, Nico would've laughed and cried simultaneously. Now…
"That was the weirdest way of asking me out, first off." Will laughed at this. Nico grunted, watching the older boy's face crinkle for a few seconds before he spoke again.
"Maybe. What about you?" Those words seemed to evaporate out of his mouth.
Nico's eyes shot to his hands, folded in his lap. Will moved to Nico, closing the gap between them. Nico looked up and saw the older boy, his face about a foot away, his eyes flashing from Nico's eyes to his lips. He seemed to be asking for permission, and Nico nodded, quick and nervous. The corner of Will's mouth turned up, and he closed the gap entirely. Their lips met.
One of Will's hands was propped up on the cot beside Nico, and the other was on the back of Nico's neck, his fingers grazing Nico's hair. Nico's hands crept tentatively up Will's chest, until he reached Will's jaw line. He ran his own fingers over Will's sharp jaw, working his way backwards, until he reached Will's soft blond hair. He entwined his fingers in Will's hair.
Over the past few weeks, ever since the battle with Gaea, Nico had been spending a lot of time with Will. For some reason, Will would pop into his mind, distracting him from rational thinking. He had succumbed to these thoughts, wondering what it would be like to be in a relationship with the older boy. He had been thinking about kissing the other boy.
Looks like Will had been, too.
Will was now using more pressure, his kiss no longer hesitant and curious, but slow and mind-numbing. Their mouths kept pushing against each other, pulling back and then pushing back up. Will's hand that was playing with Nico's hair went to the bed, and Will's broad chest bumped Nico slightly. Any attempt at balance or dignity came tumbling down, as Nico collapsed backward, softening the fall with his elbows on the twin-sized cot. The kiss broke for a bit as Nico struggled to catch his breath. Will was beaming, his hair slightly ruffled, his eyes sparkling.
"Dammit, Solace," Nico gasped.
Will didn't reply, for once at a loss for words. He refused to let his eyes move from Nico's.
Nico's eyes dropped to the hem of Will's shirt. Too daring? Oh, well. Any dignity was far gone by now.
"I think there's a problem."
Will frowned, confused. "What?"
In one fluid motion. Nico tugged Will's shirt off, the older boy's arms raising on instinct.
Will laughed and rolled his eyes. His chest seemed to radiate warmth and a faint glow. Will tackled Nico, pushing him completely onto his back, as they kissed, over and over.
Nothing happened, past kissing. Yet Nico's heart wouldn't stop pounding, even when he drifted off to sleep in Will's arms, the fading sunlight gone from the sky.
