Weakness

Will let himself in the Hades cabin using the key that Nico had given him. No they weren't boyfriends, not yet, but whenever Nico gets into depression, he locks himself inside his cabin, and even though at that particular moment he says that he doesn't need anyone, he wishes that someone comes in and rescues him. And that someone is usually Will. Not that his other friends don't care, it's just that Will is more capable of handling Nico than others. And after a lot of persistence, Nico gave Will a key to the cabin.

Though this time it was Will who needed help and not Nico. He wanted someone to sit next to him, and hold him, and he couldn't think of anyone else. Lou Ellen and Cecil had gone out of the camp on a date, and Will found himself in an empty Hades cabin with a bottle of wine in his hand.

He sighed as he went over to Nico's bed, and took another sip of his wine. He wasn't allowed to drink, but the Stoll brothers owed him for saving their asses a million times.

He looked around, feeling the loneliness drown him, and drank half of the bottle in one go. He missed his mom. He sobbed. The loneliness was good. No one was there to observe his weakness.

It was his mistake. It should have been him, not his mom. It should have been him who the dracaena should have killed, not his mom. He should have been able to help her with his powers, he should have been able to figure them out and help her, rather than sitting there looking at his mom, throw the bronze knife that she had at the monster, before it exploded into dust. He should have asked the satyr who had come to take him to camp, to help his mom. He shouldn't have been frozen into a statue. He should have done something. Anything. But be immobilized by fear.

It was his stupidity that cost his mom his life. He cried more and was about to take another gulp of wine, when he realized that the bottle was empty. He tried to put the bottle down slowly, but in the rush of his emotions, ended up shattering it.

He smiled as he looked at the pieces. Couldn't even put a bottle down gently. I am worthless he thought, as he looked at the mess that he created.

He stared at the pieces of glass, fascinated by their sharp edges.

'Hmm, how would that feel against my wrist? I think I should just do it. Maybe this is my punishment for what happened to mom because of me? Yeah! It makes perfect sense. Why didn't I think of this before? This is brilliant.'

He picked up the piece of glass, and pulled it across his wrist. It hurt. It freaking hurt. But he didn't care. He let out a breath he never knew he had been holding. It felt good. In a strange way. He cut a couple more lines on his wrist. The sting became barely noticeable by the third time. He kept making a series of lines till his elbow. This felt so good. Even though there were tears running down his eyes, and it stung sometimes, this felt really good. He promised himself that he would clean up this mess later, as he watched blood drip from his hand. He giggled to himself, as he watched a pool of blood collect near his feet.

His giggles soon turned to hysterical laughter. He felt a wave of dizziness hit him, but he could really care less.

'Hmm. Maybe I should cut deeper. It's not like anyone's gonna miss me if I die.'

He clutched the glass shard in his hand tightly, as he hovered his hand over his wrist. One clean deep cut, was all he needed to let go. Let go of his miserable life. He could do this.

And he would have if not for a strangled voice, calling out his name from a corner in the cabin.

Someone rushed forward, and took the glass shard away from his hand. He looked up to the person, who had just denied him his right.

He looked upto strange chocolate brown eyes, staring back at him, with a broken expression. Will reached out for the glass piece, but the strange yet familiar boy pulled it away from him.

"You know? I can just grab one of the pieces that are littered down." Will said as he looked around for a sharp piece.

"Will? What's … what's going on?"

"I… I don't know … I don't remember who you are, but can you please give me back my glass shard? I don't wanna bend down. It's making me dizzy. And I don't wanna die in my own pool of blood. I don't really like the smell of blood, but the cuts are making me feel happier, and I think one last cut can make all this go away, and I can be happy again, so can you please return my glass shard ba…"

Will's mumbling stopped when he was hit by a wave of sleepiness and dizziness. Maybe he was dying, he thought as he collapsed forwards into someone's arms. He smiled as he thought about his mom waiting for him, across the light.

Nico lets out a sob, as Will collapses into his arms. He couldn't see his favourite son of Apollo like this. He had to put him to sleep. He carefully carries Will across the room, to Hazel's bed, and lays him down. He cries as he looks at Will's hand, littered with cuts till his elbow.

He looks around for his towel, and gets a couple of wet tissues. He struggles to keep his thought process straight, so that he doesn't screw this up. He couldn't let Will die. He loved him, for Hades sake. He isn't supposed to leave him too. He … he needed to concentrate right now.

He takes a deep breath, and starts cleaning Will's hand. After he is done with that. He just wraps up his towel around his hand, to stop the bleeding. He doesn't want to get anyone right now, from the Apollo cabin, cause, he was sure Will wouldn't want them to see him like this. Plus, it didn't look that serious. Will had made only superficial cuts. He looked at Will's face, smiling in his sleep. The boy who always helped Nico in his depression, had come here, for Nico's help. On the day that Hades had called him for some underworld-y business. He should have been here for Will.

He looked around his cabin, and thought about calling some skeleton to clean up the place. But then they might go back and talk about this to the others. Oh well, until Will wakes up he might just clean his cabin up. He pushed a bit of peacefulness into Will. He usually used this for people who are about to move onto the underworld, but it helped a great deal with humans too, during their anxiety attacks. Will sighed in his sleep, looking a bit more peaceful this time.

He went to work, cleaning his cabin, removing the glass shards, and then wiping the room clean of the blood. He then proceeded to spray some nice room freshener that Will had brought for him, that smelled like sunshine and grass and summer.

After that, he checked over Will's cuts, happy to know that they were almost healed, must be a son of Apollo thing.

He sat down next to Will, as he played with his hair. He knew this was just adrenaline rushing through his body, and once that went away, the real shock of the situation would come, and he would be incapacitated with pain. But as long as he didn't think about it, he would be fine.

He feels Will shift around him, and looks down to him opening his eyes.

"Where… where am I ?"

'Will?"

"Nico is that you? Why are you here? I … I am supposed to be dead right? Like, my mom. I wanna see her… what are you doing here in the underworld?"

"Shut up you idiot!" Nico yelled. The situation was finally settling in he guessed.

"Nico?"

"Don't you ever ever ever do that again. Do you understand? I can't lose you!" Nico cried as he pulled Will into a hug. Will froze underneath him, but soon felt himself hugging Nico back. He sobbed into Nico's jacket.

"I… I am not dead?"

Nico shook his head.

"But… I was so close to mom. She was right there, waiting for me. Nico! Why didn't you let me die?"

"Why would you do that Will? Why would you do any of it?"

"Cause… I was the reason behind my mom's death. And… it felt good to let some of the pain out. And then, it just felt good. I was just a cut away from my mom. Why didn't you let me die Neeks? I was so close to her." Will sobbed into his jacket, clutching him as close to him as possible. He was supposed to be angry that Nico didn't let him die, but the warmth that Nico radiated just calmed him. He couldn't do anything but hug him back. He felt safe.

Nico knew about how Will's mom had died. He had told him about it once.

"Cause I love you. And I couldn't let you die. You are the only one holding me here. Oh Will, if only you would have waited for a couple of more minutes. Dad called me to the underworld, for some work. I am so sorry, that I wasn't here when you needed me." Nico was holding onto Will, like his life depended on it. He couldn't let Will die. Never. He… he was… really important to him. He felt tears finally run down his face, but he could care less.

"I… I love you too Neeks." Will muttered into Nico's jacket.

"Then promise me that you will never do what you just did again."

Will hesitated, but then nodded.

"And the next time you miss your mom, just tell me. Ok?"

Will nods again.

Nico shakes his head, pulls Will against his chest, so that he was kinda hugging him from back. Then he raised his hand, and chanted something, then throws a bag of McDonalds that he always has in his room for emergencies. (Which is not important right now. Concentrate people!) Will clutched Nico's hand as the temperature dropped in the cabin. He looked back at Nico, and seriously no one should look so hot while summoning ghosts. He looked away, at the corner where a ghost was beginning to take form. He stared at the ghost. It… it looked like his mom?!

He looked back at Nico, who flashed him a smile before nodding his head towards his mom.

"M… Mom?" he asked, his voice breaking in the end.

"William Solace! I swear to Hades that if you ever pull a stunt like that ever again, I will personally look into it that, you shall be dealing with crying babies for all your life!"

Will gulped as he stared at his mom. So, he hated crying babies. Doesn't mean his mom can use that as ammunition.

Will nodded as his mom kept glaring at him. She smiled and relaxed when he nodded.

"My baby. How are you?"

"I… I am fine mom!" he said rushing forward to hug her, but Nico pulled him back. He looked at Nico strangely.

"If you try to touch her, she will start dissipating. It will take a lot of energy to keep her here. I am sorry Will. But you will just have to talk for now."

Will nodded gratefully before turning to his mom.

"You know dear I am so proud of you. Of all the things that you have achieved in all these years. And please stop blaming yourself for what happened to me. I knew the consequences of what I was doing. It was my decision. So if anyone should be blamed for it, it should be me. Don't blame yourself for everything that happens around you, child. Be happy with what you are. Also, Nico darling, thanks for saving him! I will always owe you for what you did."

"Mam, what I did for him, was my own choice. You don't owe me anything." Nico smiled at her.

"Now, now, don't calling me mam. It's either mom or ma. And just get together already you too. Maria and I are having bets on who proposes first. I wanna win. So Will, if you could, just propose first ok?"

Both kids spluttered and turned red as she chuckled.

She came forward, kissed both the boys on their cheeks, whispered a goodbye and left.

Nico let out a breath as he felt her soul returning back to Elysium.

Will turned around in Nico's arms and held him close.

"Thank you so much! Thank you thank you thank you! What you did means a lot to me."

"I know" Nico said chuckling and lying down. He patted the spot next to him, and Will lay down.

"Next time just wait for me for a couple more minutes ok?" he said as kissed him on his forehead.

Will nodded and cuddled closer to Nico.

Nico chuckled and said in a small voice.

"So… about us getting together, would you be my boyfriend?"

"Hey! I wanted to propose first!"

"Is that a yes, Mr. Solace?"

"Oh well, yea! I would love to be your boyfriend!"

Nico chuckled as he leaned in for a kiss that Will was more than happy to give.

Meanwhile in the underworld, Elena was grumbling as she paid 20 drachmas to Maria. At least they are together now. That's what mattered the most right?