I walked back over to where will was waiting for me. He smiled, and I gave a little smile back.

"Three days in the infirmary." He said."starting now, Death Boy."

"Don't call me Death Boy." I threatened, but nonetheless I followed him into the infirmary.

I settled in my bed as Will hustled about, checking my pulse, and everything else necessary. Then came an awkward moment where he just held my hand and frowned. He looked as if in deep concentration. Then he let go of my hand and glared at me.

"No shadow travel. Not until I say so."

"But-" I protested.

"Doctor's orders." He said, as if that made it any more sensible.

"Ok." I said. "Then I can leave now." I got up to leave. Will just put a hand on my shoulder and pushed me back down on the bed. I got a wave of dizziness. He recognized it instantly and used it to his advantage.

"See?" he said. "I told you." I stuck out my tongue and slowly crawled back into my bed. Then he left.


My nightmares were worse than usual that night, even for a demigod. I saw Bianca. I could see her dying in every single way imaginable. I was trying to save her, but I was chained down. I was screaming and crying like a baby. I was wailing and shivering and my lungs felt as if they were ripped out of my chest. I summoned skeletons but I was caught up in so much emotion that it didn't work.

I didn't look like the Prince of Hell. But I didn't care at all. I was only focused on Bianca. Then my dreams switched. I saw Hazel. Then Percy. Then will. Then it replayed all over again.

Suddenly, I woke with a start. Someone had been shaking me and calling my name.

"Nico? Are you okay?" I could feel dried tears on my face. I was still shaking. I looked up, and, through the blurriness, I saw Will's face. I broke down crying.

Will looked as if he wanted to bolt. He didn't know what to do. I yanked the blanket out of his grip and my crying was reduced to small sniffles here and there. I hid underneath the thin fabric. I felt a weight on the side of my bed as Will sat down.

"Nico come out." he said, and when I didn't he repeated himself more forcefully. I slowly lowered the blanket down and sat up. I didn't meet his eyes. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I shook my head. No. Never. It was a mistake that I'd let him see me like this. I looked anywhere but at his face. He grabbed my chin and forced me to look into his eyes. I almost immediately felt a fraction better. I scowled at the warm feeling in my chest when he touched me.

Then he took my hand. He frowned, just like yesterday. Then he flinched. I yanked my hand back, not wanting to hurt him. Wait, what? I shook my head. I shouldn't be feeling like this around him. I groaned inwardly. Here we go again.

"There's too much darkness inside of you, Nico." he says. "What were you dreaming about?" I shake my head again and he forces me to look at him again. I sigh and give up.

"I saw my sister." I say. Then I stop, considering if I should even be doing this.

"Hazel?" he asks.

"No. Well, maybe. My full blood sister. She died the same summer that Percy fought Atlas. On the same quest, actually. I saw her dying. In every way possible. Over and over again. Then I saw Hazel. Then Percy. And so on. I heard their screams. It hurt, Will. I couldn't save them. I was chained to a rock. I tried to summon skeletons. It didn't work. They just disappeared."

Will sat and listened to looked as if he didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to comfort me.

"And Will?" I said.

"Yeah?" he said, looking up at me.

"...I saw you too."

He looked extremely confused for a second. Then, without so much as a single warning, he kissed me.

I'm not going to lie and say it was magical. It was normal to anyone else. But to me, I felt as if all of my dreams had come true. The butterflies in my stomach fluttered around wildly. When he pulled away, I was blushing. I buried my face in my knees. He took my hand and squeezed it.

"Hey, Nico. Come out, doctor's orders." When I didn't answer, he brought me out of my hiding place yet again. I twisted the skull ring on my finger. "It's going to be okay."

Author's note:

Sorry this sucked. I just went with I wrote the first time. English isn't my primary language. Tell me if I should continue it, and maybe i will. Give me ideas, too. Nobody probably read this anyways. Oh, well.

-evilcupcake11