Before, Nico did not really care for the sunset. It wasn't something that he thought he should pay much attention to. The sun making its way down to the horizon was not that impressive.
Though now, it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. Nico could probably put the blame on Will. He had always pointed out the sun setting to Nico.
This day was not any different. "I wish I had a camera on me right now! I love the sunset."
"Cool." Nico said, clearly disinterested.
Will shrugged. They were sitting on the logs which surrounded the campfire. It wasn't lit yet, though. It wasn't dark enough.
"Sometimes I like to think its dad saying goodnight to me."
Nico looked at Will. His face looked more angular in the orange glint of the sun, more chiselled.
Nico could understand demigods wanting some kind of sign from their parents, not being around like normal parents could, just to show their kids that they appreciated them.
"Maybe it is." Nico said. "Did I tell you about that time when I rode in his sun bus?"
"I've heard about it." Will grinned. "Thalia almost burnt down New England."
Nico nodded. It seemed like so long ago. "He wouldn't let me drive. Said I was too young."
Will laughed. "Bet he was regretting saying that as soon as Thalia got behind the wheel."
The corners of Nico's mouth turned up in smile and he looked up at the sky, clouds a mix between purple, pink and orange. "I probably would have crashed the damn thing. Burnt up the earth."
Will laughed again. His laugh was rhythmic, even though he had approximately zero musical skills, there were other parts of his demeanor that made Nico feel like Will was playing his very own, personal song just for him.
"No chance for Gaea to have risen when you would have burnt up her entire life force."
Will's hand moved next to Nico's, their fingertips of their pinky fingers almost touching. Will mimicked Nico's posture. His torso bent back as he looked up at the sky.
"It's beautiful." Nico admitted. Will smiled back down at him. A bright, heartwarming smile that made Nico feel warm right down to his toes.
He looked at Will, and Will looked back at Nico.
Nico decided that he liked the sunset, at least, when Will was there with him.
Some campers started making their way towards the campfire, and the sky was becoming darker. Some Apollo campers came by and Will moved to sit with them.
"Coming with?" Will asked Nico. Nico was surprised that the other Apollo campers did not even look uncomfortable at the thought of the son of Hades sitting with them. In fact, they were even trying to goad Nico into sitting with them.
Nico stood up and made their way over to them.
When it was finally dark outside, and everything was enveloped in the darkness of the shadows, campers filled around the campfire. Nico and Will had to sit even closer together, their shoulders rubbing against the others, to fit all the campers in. The campfire magically sputtered alive. Nico liked watching the fire change colours. The flames started out like a normal flame. Different shades of yellow and orange, then, reflecting on the moods of the campers, it would change. Right now, it was yellow, to a colour which signified happiness.
Nico wasn't sure how true that was for him, although recently, he had been the happiest he had ever felt since Bianca was alive.
When all the campers had found their seating, and Chiron had arrived on scene, the Apollo campers had started the sing-a-longs, and even though he was a terrible singer, Will joined along in the cheesy songs. It hurt Nico's ears, but he didn't say anything about it.
Nico looked at the fire, and he noticed that the sparks were the colour pink. Nico didn't have to be an expert in colours to know that pink was the colour of love.
He looked around at all the campers. Percy and Annabeth were sitting together, holding hands, Annabeth's head resting on his shoulder. Annabeth looked like she was about to fall asleep, which for some reason, Nico found funny.
Jason was in Camp Jupiter for the week, he was setting up shrines for all the gods there. Nico couldn't say he didn't miss the son of Jupiter's company. He had become a helpful friend to Nico after the war.
Another thing Nico though he would never have: friends. A month ago, it seemed something that was impossible.
A thought slipped into his mind. They'll get tired of you eventually. Nico tried to shut the voice out, but it was hard. The voice that plagued him ever since Bianca's death. A veil of unhappiness cloaking Nico, allowing him never to be fully happy. They'll all leave you.
"Shut up." He muttered to himself.
Will stopped his singing. "What was that?" he asked.
Nico forced a smile. "Nothing."
Will stood up then, said something to the second-in-command, who nodded. Will turned back to Nico.
"Come with me," He said. Nico at first wanted to protest, but he knew how stubborn Will could be. His fingers nervously tapped against the wood of the log as he stood up.
"Why?"
"I want you to come walk with me."
He looked at Chiron, who was talking to the sleepy Annabeth. Nico caught Percy's eye, who smiled at Nico, then Will, and winked at him.
Nico looked back at Will, who was waiting impatiently for him.
They walked back to the cabins, and Nico was trying to ignore the butterflies fluttering in his stomach.
"What are you thinking about?" Will asked.
"Butterflies." Nico admitted.
Will laughed. "No you weren't. I saw you back there."
Nico didn't speak for several seconds. How had he known? "It was nothing." He mumbled.
Will sighed and stopped. "Nico, you know that you can trust me, right?"
Nico's legs felt like jelly, and he leaned across the wall, not trusting his legs to hold himself up. "I just… have doubts. You know. That you like me… that you're going to get tired of me, one day." He didn't know why he was suddenly spilling his guts to Will, but once he started, he couldn't stop. "After everybody found out I was a son of Hades, after Bianca… died, nobody wanted to speak to me."
"They didn't-" Will started.
"Stop." Nico interrupted. "I know what happened, I was there. You never once spoke to me before now." Nico didn't mean for that to sound so harsh. "I mean… nobody did. Even the great god Pan didn't address me when we found him in the Labyrinth. A son of Hades isn't meant to belong anywhere."
"Come on, Nico. You know that's not true. As for, Pan, well… who cares what the gods think, right?"
Nico shrugged. "I just don't know, Will. I have doubts, these aren't going to go away as easily as you think. You can't just say a couple of words and think I'll be alright for the time afterwards. It doesn't work like that."
"Nico. I know it doesn't. But Zeus help me if I don't even try. I'm your friend, okay? I like you even when you're at your worst. Nothing- no matter what doubts you're having- is going to change that. Trust me, I'm the son of Apollo, I know."
Nico looked up at Will incredulously. He had no idea how somebody could be so damn supportive. Of Nico, no less.
A cold breeze blew Nico's hair into his eyes, and goose bumps rose on his arms. He shivered.
Will noticed. "Let's go back to the campfire." He said gently. Will raised his arm as if to put it around Nico's shoulder, but instead he scratched the back of his neck. He started walking and Nico had no choice but to follow.
Nico walked next to Will, and as they got back to the campfire, Percy caught his eye and gave him two thumbs up. What was that about?
He sat down next to Will, where they had been sitting before he got up to interrogate him. Will silently passed Nico a bag of marshmallows. Nico muttered a 'thanks' and shoved one on a stick and put it over the campfire where it started to slowly turn brown.
Together they shared the bag of marshmallows, but Will ate the most of them. Nico didn't really have an appetite.
The campers had started to move back to their cabins, and Nico stifled a yawn. After the events of tonight, with Nico's fluctuating from happy, to sad then to whatever mix of emotions he was feeling right now, Nico found himself wanting to have a good long sleep.
He stood up for the second time that night. "I'm going to go to bed." He said to Will. Then he leaned down and said quietly: "Thanks for… you know… being a good friend. And liking me."
Will smiled at Nico. The smile that made Nico feel like his heart was going to explode. "Don't worry about it."
When Nico went to sleep that night, in the first time in months, his dreams were peaceful. He dreamt about the sunset, how it gave way for the moon to glow, and how shadows could roam free.