The first light of a new day warming his fair skin and sun-kissed hair never failed to bring a smile to Will Solace's face. Being a son of Apollo, that should only make sense.

Who wouldn't want to greet the day with a smile and thanks to the gods, especially his wayward, roguish father on a day like this? Certainly none of Will's brothers and sisters!

Okay, sure, there were campers in other cabins who didn't share his delight—namely a certain visiting son of Poseidon, whom he noticed was getting quite the earful from Annabeth Chase as he stumbled along to the dining pavilion. Much to the amusement with a few other friends, visiting and regular fixtures of Camp Half-Blood.

Will gave a contented hum as he watched the group banter together. Those seven had gone through so much together, all to stop Gaea and save the domain of the gods and all who walked the earth. They'd more than earned peaceful moments like these—those happy times when they could each be themselves and just fool about without worrying that some monster might come to rip out their entrails.

Of course, there was an eighth member of their happy little troupe who hadn't made his presence known. A rather adorable young man with lovely, curly black hair, the cutest glare, and cheeks which practically begged to be filled with a rosy pink as often as Will could manage. His sacred duty as Nico di Angelo's loving, mischievous, and all around teasing boyfriend.

Oh, Nico, Will thought with a chuckle. Sleeping in again.

Thinking up today's excuse for why he should rouse the ever-dour son of Hades, Will sauntered by the laughing group of demigods with a spring in his step and a little nod to each of his friends. "Morning, hero-folk!" he chimed with a little smirk. "Any world-ending prophecies that need a tagalong doctor today?"

Percy shot him a baleful look that suggested he'd love nothing more than to be near a fountain, if only so he could drench Will for the question. "No," he grumbled, the right corner of his mouth twitching upward. "But I hear tell of a prophecy that red team is in for a thrashing in capture the flag later on."

With a bark of laughter, Jason Grace gave him a shove that sent him staggering a step. "Dream on!" the blond teased. He threw his arms around Piper and Leo and raised his brows. "If word gets back to Camp Jupiter that I dropped my first game of capture the flag after you pulled that shocker on your first war game, Reyna'll show up and punt my behind across the Atlantic and back!"

That was just about all it took to send the older boys into a flurry of banter about the upcoming game, the two sons of rival godly brothers each eager to one-up the other. At least their parental grudges manifested in a sort of friendly competition.

All the same, it was enough to garner matching groans from Annabeth and Piper as they tried to get between their boyfriends and put a halt on the trash talk until later, and amusement from Hazel, Frank, and Leo.

"Got 'em started early, esé," Leo drawled with a toothy grin. "It's like you're trying to step in on my territory driving people nuts."

"Not even close." Frank rolled his eyes. "Though you might wanna make yourself scare if they get too rowdy or Annabeth's liable to kill you."

Hiding a laugh behind her hand, Hazel nudged her boyfriend and added, "Don't forget Piper!"

"Nah. She's more likely to trick him into doing something silly in front of Nico. Speaking of, where is your ever-peppy brother?"

"Nico? Peppy?" Leo snorted and shook his head. "Love the dude like a brother, but those words don't go together. Ever."

With a frown, Hazel turned to cross her arms and glare at the pair. Her brow arched, disappearing beneath her bangs. A good thing, too. If she hadn't, Will certainly would've. "You two knock it off and be nice. And for your information, he was still sleeping when I left."

Will chose that as his chance to skirt around the group and make his way to cabin thirteen, his work at getting things going done. Which meant he could focus on the second, slightly more pleasant task of his day.

Okay, really, it was miles more pleasant, but he was trying to be nice. What could be more fun than waking his boyfriend and teasing him until he gave in, melted into Will's arms, and smiled?

Nothing, that's what.

Not even the Hades cabin, with its all black exterior and haunting green flames dancing upon their torches, could dampen his mood. Though, almost as if they could hear his thoughts and take them as challenge, the cabin itself did seem to darken and loom like an oncoming storm on the horizon.

So much like Nico, really. Terrifying and unsettling to everyone else, save for those who knew him well. Least of all, to Will.

And naturally, he had just the perfect way to wake his Prince of Darkness.

Will picked a lively, upbeat rhythm and brought his knuckles up, rapping them against the woodwork in time with a grin as bright as his father's sun chariot. From within Hades cabin, he heard a familiar voice groan and mutter a series of curses in Ancient Greek.

It only served to make his smile broaden. "Rise and shine, handsome!" he sang, still knocking. "Time to get up for breakfast with the rest of us!"

Another flurry of curses, then a muffled whump like a handsome fourteen year old flopping back down upon his pillow. Even through the pillow, his mattress, and the wooden door, Will heard Nico call out, "Too early!"

He kept knocking. Cheery, even, at the chance to play. "Eight in the morning is a reasonable time! And you're forgetting we have capture the flag today!"

The sounds of his boyfriend grumbling were like music to his ears. He could hear Nico sigh and make his first offer, "Give me thirty."

Knock! Knock! Knockity-knock-knock! Went his knuckles against the door. "Not a chance!"

"Fifteen!" A fair offer, certainly. But, today, unacceptable.

They had a game to play, and Will had a little wager in mind to help spice things up.

It was time for his trump card. "But I want my handsome little Prince of Darkness nowwwwwwww!" he faux whined.

There was a muffled squeak, a loud thump, and then one of Nico di Angelo's patented death growls. "Solace!" He crossed the room in four loud, thunderous steps, and pulled the door open so fast the hinges creaked in protest, leveling Will with a venomous glare ruined by the deep blush creeping all the way to the nape of his neck. Blowing an angry breath through his nose, he drew himself up to full height—so, about Will's chin—and hissed, "What have I told you about calling me that out in public?"

"Hmmm, let me see if I can recall exactly what you said …" Before Nico could even think to cut in, Will closed the distance between them and cupped his cheeks gently, sealing the young heroes lips in a chaste kiss. But oh! How sweet it was!

Nico stiffened, his eyes wide as dinner plates for a split second. Then, his eyes fluttered, he all but melted into the kiss, standing up on his tiptoes and wrapping his arms around Will's neck in a loose embrace as he let out a happy little croon.

By the gods, Will never tired of little moments like this.

As they parted, he lingered close, his nose pressed against Nico's so he could savor those flushed cheeks and that smile he so desperately tried to hide. Grinning, Will pecked his lips and murmured, "Never." Another kiss. "Under any circumstances should I ever." A third kiss, chuckling as Nico gave a needy whine for more. "Call you that name in public. Or else."

The son of Apollo drew back to savor his boyfriend's expression, those cheeks bright red and puffed up, his lips sucked in to try in vain to hide his smile and fake a frown, and eyes just begging for another. With a grin so bright and smug, one might be forgiven if they confused him for his father, Will delivered the coup de gras, "Still waiting on my Prince of Darkness to deliver on that last part."

Nico sucked in a sharp breath, the corners of his mouth twitched and threatened to spread into a smile. "I hate you, Solace," he whispered.

"I know." Will took a moment to nuzzle into that mane of messy black hair and give a happy sigh. Then he leaned down to whisper in Nico's ear, "Get yourself moving and eat. I've got a little something that I think you'll find interesting for capture the flag today."

His boyfriend furrowed his brows, all traces of that adorable little blush washed away from his handsome face. In its place, the calculating gaze of one of the craftiest, most dangerous heroes of the modern age. "What did you have in mind?" Nico asked slowly.

So cautious! If Will didn't know better, he'd almost say Nico thought him up to no good!

He knows me well. "Well," he drawled, his hands sliding to cup Nico's jawline so he could teasingly trace circles in those cheeks with his thumb, "we have our first date off camp grounds coming up next weekend."

Nico's cheeks flushed bright pink again. "Y-Yeah," he stammered. "We were going to that movie you told me about. The musical one with the ice princess?"

"Yes, Frozen." Trust Nico to only remember the vague details. "I was just thinking we could spice things up."

"Meaning?"

"What were you planning on wearing?"

Nico blinked. "Uh. Probably one of my shirts, my jacket, and some jeans that aren't ripped." He paused a beat in thought. "If I have any that aren't."

"Well, here's the idea~" he leaned in and whispered his plan in Nico's ear, his grin widening as he watched that lovely blush spread to the nape of his neck once again, and slowly deepen until his pale skin was almost the same color as a stop sign before he sucked in his lips to try to hide another smile, and gave a single, jerky nod.

He was in.

Oh yeah. Today's game was going to be a good one.

Such a shame Nico didn't realize Will was already several steps ahead.

Nico won't know what hit him.

After breakfast, the campers and visitors to Camp Half-Blood all broke up into their teams so they could talk strategy, gear up for the battle, and set about assigning duties for attack and defense.

Will strode up to the table where blue team's leadership was holding a miniature strategy meeting and offered his input on how to neutralize one of the five wildcards their opponents held. Because, really, he couldn't just let Nico go about, summoning skeletons, splitting the earth, and waving his sword about like the little terror he'd been during the wars.

Not with such high stakes involved.

So after he'd relayed his plan, he took a moment to delight in the swell of satisfaction in seeing Percy Jackson openly gaping. The son of Poseidon was a near legendary figure among the demigods of Camps Half-Blood and Jupiter for good reason—he'd seen more than any since the days of Ancient Greece or Rome, and done more. The only ones with the resumé to match were Jason and Annabeth, and the rest of the group who'd journeyed to the Ancient Lands.

So for those moments Will could make the most storied leader of them all gape, he had to cherish them. More so when his plan registered with Annabeth, Clarisse, and Frank, and the pair regarded him as if they thought he'd just held up a big sign that read "Zeus throws lightning like a girl".

Though, if Will had to be honest, he felt their

"I'm not sure if I should laugh, shake my head, or shake you, Will," Percy muttered, palming his face.

"I'd prefer the first two, to be honest." Will beamed. "If you've gotta shake anyone, let's make it Jason. I could do without him throwing lightning my way."

"Fair." A hint of a smile played upon his lips. "You realize he's going to kill you if you pull that sort of trick on him in the middle of the game, right?"

"Oh, he'll think about it." Their relationship was sort of based on that—Will would tease, Nico would snark or blush or try to stand on tiptoe to wring his neck, and then he'd just end up melting in Will's arms. "But it's the best bet I've got at keeping him under wraps while you all have fun with the others. Have fun dodging lightning, by the way."

"Better that than sending him up against Piper," Annabeth managed to quip. "She'll have him dancing in the river and soaking us while they snag our flag."

"Hey!"

Will hid a smirk. Hero or not, Percy could never escape his girlfriend's wicked wit. Then again, who could?

He turned his attention to Clarisse and Frank and raised his brows in silent prompting.

Clarisse shrugged. "If you think you can keep him occupied, you do whatever crazy thing you can think, Solace." The fires of competitiveness and the thrill of battle mixed with a telltale glimmer of mirth. "Just keep it clean or Chiron'll have my head for letting you do it."

"Not to mention Hazel," Frank added.

Frowning, Will held his hands out. "Hey! We've only been dating a month or so! What sort of boyfriend do you take me for?"

Ares's favored daughter threw back her head and let out a bark of laughter. "Relax, Solace. We're only foolin'. Just get Death Boy out of the picture and we'll take care of the rest. With you on him and Percy matching Jason, it'll come down to combat strength and strategy." She jabbed a thumb at Annabeth, adding, "Unless they pull something that one can't think up, I like our odds."

"Perfect." With a jaunty wave, Will spun on his heel and set off to find his bow and quiver for a little archery practice. His plan, after all, required all the precision and skill of a true son of Apollo.

His shots would be perfect, lest he turn his boyfriend into a porcupine.

Hardly fitting a week before their first date off camp grounds.

By the time the conch horns blew and the red and blue flags had been paraded through the camp grounds by each team's leadership, Will had worked up a modest glisten of sweat across his brow. Wiping the back of his hand across to keep it out of his eyes, he slung his bow across his back and cast a quick look around the training grounds to make sure he hadn't left any arrows laying about.

Once satisfied, Will hurried off to meet up with the rest of blue team. His heart hammered in his chest, eager to begin the game.

Eager to see his plans come to fruition.

He could already picture the look on Nico's handsome face when he learned what was in store for their date night.

Will came to a kidding stop by Percy's side, earning a bemused look from the son of Poseidon. He didn't prod or mock, not that he made habit of such things in front of a big crowd while Chiron gave the usual rundown of the rules. He'd just wait until the game was over.

Though he wasn't above murmuring out of the side of his mouth, "Cutting it awful close." He didn't even flinch as Annabeth shot him a warning look,

"Just getting some last minute practice in," Will muttered in reply.

"A son of Apollo needs practice for something like this?"

"When he's trying not to put arrows in his boyfriend, yes."

Percy hummed an affirmative. "Good point. And, y'know, Hazel'd kill you."

Ah, yes. Of course, Hazel would be the first in line—after her, the rest of the group would probably just take a number. Now there was a cheery thought. Right up there with survival training under Clarisse.

Let's focus on the goal here, Will. The head counsellor of cabin seven shook himself out of his lapse just in time for Chiron to call out the for the teams to go plant their respective flags and join in the raucous cheer that went through the assembled group.

And, well, the taunting. Though, most of that was between Leo, Percy, Jason, and Clarisse, so Will felt it acceptable to go ahead and tune things out after the first lightning pun.

"Just you wait, Jackson!" Leo had said with that damnable grin. "Jason and I have something cooked up that'll shock you to the core!"

That Hazel promptly groaned and smacked him over the head did little to satisfy the son of Poseidon as they trooped through the field to that old rock formation so lovingly dubbed Zeus's Fist.

"Got something cooked up that'll shock me to the core, do they?" he muttered in a rather fair mockery of Leo's voice. "See if he's still running his mouth after I douse those flames of his."

Only regular exposure to his father's love of terrible puns and wordplay afforded Will the tolerance for such a threat. The look Annabeth shot her boyfriend told the tale of how little she thought of it, however.

Percy was quick to scale to the top and plant the flag, earning another rousing cheer from blue team. He turned to face them and drew his sword from his scabbard, holding it aloft like the great leaders of old.

The sight alone was nearly enough to make Will want to take up his bow and hold it up in kind.

"All right blue team!" Percy shouted over the din. "Just like we planned it out—Will and I will deal with Nico and Jason! Clarisse will lead the main charge while Annabeth leads the team in to get the flag! Frank?"

The big Canadian-Chinese boy gave a little gesture with his bow. "I've got defense." He shared a grin with Clarisse, his Grecian-born sister, and exchanged a fist bump. "Try to make Mars proud."

"Try to fight worthy of Ares," she quipped back. Then, turning to Will, she delivered a slap to his back that nearly floored him. "And you, try not to die playing catch with your boyfriend. You just got interesting."

Which was about as close as Clarisse would ever come to telling someone they ought to be careful because what they were about to do was certifiably nuts.

Good thing I'm nuts for Nico, then.

The conch horn rang through the forest. A mighty roar of cheering campers went up from boast teams, enough that Will could feel the tremor down to his very bones. At last, the game had begun.

Will sprinted off through the forest toward the river boundary, ducking and weaving around the mighty trees as the dryads who hadn't cleared out before the game cheered from the boughs above. Vaulting over a cluster of bushes, he grinned, he already the perfect ambush spot already in mind.

As he came to a small clearing, just before the edge of the river, he saw the shapes of fellow campers—red team—moving through the thick foliage before the other bank. Will crouched low, slowly stepping back and skirting his way around the trunk of a thick oak tree.

He raised his bow and nocked an arrow, drawing it back slowly with a deep breath as he took aim at the lead attacker—a shorter warrior, his stained mechanic shirt covered by bronze armor, carrying a short sword and no shield.

Leo's rapid-fire chatter floated to his ears, indiscernible, but distinct in cadence and tone. Not to mention that oh-so-wonderful talent for making his own teammates groan and curse and kindly give their position and number away.

Ah, Leo. Looks like I'll get my punch in a different way. Will grinned, waiting until the moment Leo and his team each stepped foot on the blue territory bank. It wasn't his main responsibility, but he had been tasked with tripping up whoever he came along until he found Nico. Looks like Percy won't get to get you back for that little quip after all.

The instant the last member of the red team squad—the newest Hephaestus child named Harley—stepped out of the water and fumbled to draw what looked to be a heavy wrench out of his tool belt. Not exactly a fitting weapon, Will thought until he noticed a telltale glint of celestial bronze.

Ingenious. Hephaestus would've been proud.

At least, he would've been if the poor boy had gotten to use it on Will or one of his teammates before a blunted arrowhead bounced off his breastplate. He let out a shrill yelp and staggered back, tripping over a fallen branch and falling into the water with a merry splash.

Will was back behind the tree before any of Leo's troupe could catch a glimpse of him nocking another arrow.

"Harley!" Leo and Nyssa dashed to the boy's side and knelt in the shallows to help him up. Cursing, Leo sighed. "Well, that's you out and in jail, Harley. Geez, that had to be Frank or one of the Apollo kids. I didn't even see where it came from!"

"Don't see any archers either," one of his brothers added, his eyes flitting about to search the trees, passing by Will's hiding spot with little interest.

Thank the gods the children of Hephaestus didn't share the Hunters' talent for tracking and seeking out hidden prey.

Crouching low, Will raised his bow and loosed an arrow, ducking behind his tree even as a telltale clunk of blunted arrowhead rang off his target's armor. He hurried to a new spot, a smirk playing upon his lips as he heard the confused campers scramble to form a loose semi-circle around their fallen comrades. He heard Leo spit another curse and call, "Shields up!" before each of his siblings scrambled to get into formation.

They were so caught off-guard that they missed the telltale rustling of foliage a few yards to Will's right, nor did they catch sight of Conner Stoll winking at him from his hiding spot behind a maple tree.

Which meant it only fair that Will give them a hand.

He stepped out to his left and sent another arrow bouncing off Nyssa's shoulders. As they all turned to face him—more importantly, exposing their side to Conner—he grinned and scolded the sputtering, cursing girl, "Language, Nyssa. What would your mother say if she heard you talking like that?"

Leo's eyes bored into him with a competitive fire. "Will Solace," he drawled, his smirk returning. "Figures we'd get you. Where's your brothers and sisters?"

"Oh, around I'm sure." Will aimed a dazzling smile worthy of his father at his fellow demigods. "I don't suppose I could convince you all to surrender and go to jail with me? Or at least come one at a time to give a guy a sporting chance?"

The mocking laughter which rippled through the assembled group was answer enough, but Leo always had to get a line in, "Not a chance." Raising his sword, he leveled it at Will and began to call out an order to take him.

Conner Stoll's squad burst from their hiding places and descended upon Leo's forces with battle cries to their godly parents ringing through the air. Leo fell back into the shallows with a cry, only just managing to bring his sword up in time to parry a blow from the younger Stoll brother.

Grinning, Will fired off another blunted arrow that bounced off a camper's helmet with a merry clonk and knocked him flat on his backside. He was just nocking another arrow, idly picking out who he'd conk next when he heard it.

A twig snapped behind him and his heart promptly leapt to his throat.

Will spun around just in time to come face to face with a horrifying visage—a face twisted and ravaged by decay, skin the color of leather about a hundred years old, hair as thin as spiderwebs, a gaping mouth with crooked and missing teeth, and empty eye sockets. The first zombie reached out and let out a groan like in all of those B-rate horror movies Nico so loved, his breath smelled of rot and garbage.

The son of Apollo whipped out his sword and beheaded the zombie before it could take another step. "Ugh!" he grunted, kicking the corpse away as a few of its brethren began to crawl forth from all around. "Can you lot spell halitosis? Not a dentist, but a bit of mouthwash wouldn't kill ya!"

The zombie troupe didn't much care for banter or retort. They shuffled forth, their arms outstretched, and gaping mouths drooling hungrily. That oh-so-delightful psychological warfare Nico loved to go along with his powers.

It was a good thing Will had slipped a few regular arrows into his quiver just in case. He put three between the eyes of a zombie each, then beheaded another before he was forced to dash away from the clutches of a skeletal warrior. Cursing, he shattered the skeleton's jaw with the pommel.

In the scramble, he nearly missed the rattling hiss of Stygian steel being drawn from its sheath. He turned, swinging his sword across just in time to parry the jet black blade away from his chest, and whipped his bow out to smack his attacker across the cheek.

But Nico was far quicker. The son of Hades had his forearm up to block Will's strike at the wrist, then grabbed it, twisted, and threw his weight and flipped Will over his shoulder.

Will landed hard on his back, a pained groan escaping his lips as his bow fell from his hand. He swing his sword to knock Nico's away before he could bring the tip to his face and demand he yield, then rolled to his right and hooked his boyfriend's ankle and swept his legs out from under him.

Quick as a flash, Will leapt upon him and made to bring his sword to Nico's neck, but the son of Hades brought his sword across to block the blow.

Just like they'd practiced so often.

A wild grin played upon his lips. Will shifted and pressed his knee into Nico's chest, pinning him in place and earning a pained grunt. He brought himself close, his nose just a few inches from Nico's. "Nearly got me there," he crooned, playfully fluttering his lashes. "Want a little kiss for your prize?"

Nico didn't so much as blink. He grit his teeth, his eyes focused. The only tell Will's comment registered was the slight reddening of his cheeks. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face, a little flick of his eyes to the left gave away his next move just a bit too soon.

Will almost mournfully drove his knee into his boyfriend's diaphragm, stealing the breath from his lungs. "Sorry, handsome, this is just between you and me. No zombies or skeletons interrupting this party."

Those deep brown eyes flashed with dangerous intent. "Oh, is that how we're playing it?" Nico grunted, his lips pulling into a wicked smirk. Wisps of shadows began to trail from his body, color seemed to bleed out as he melted into Will's shadow and sunk into the forest floor with a haunting laugh that echoed through the trees.

Will spat a curse and scrambled to his feet, snatching his bow off the ground as he went. The son of Apollo sheathed his sword and nocked an arrow, turning slowly so he could check for any sign, any disturbance or shift in the shadows.

All around him, Nico's mocking laughter echoed through the forest and sent shivers down his spine.

Whether they were shivers of anticipation or fear, he'd have to decide after he found Nico again. Easier said than done when the son of Hades decided to shadow travel.

"I'm pretty sure doctor's orders still apply here!" Will called. He brought his bow to bear, gazing down the arrow, ready to fire at a moment's notice.

"Got plenty of strength in me for something like this," Nico's voice echoed from somewhere to his left, and was gone before Will even started to turn. "You had to expect I'd do something like this when you made that bet."

Well, yes. Will had fully expected at least some of Nico's powers to come into play. Shadow travel, though, he'd hoped to avoid. Truth be told, he still felt a bit jittery each time he saw Nico do it, those days when he nearly faded away still fresh in his mind.

Not to mention, going along for the ride was … jarring, to say the least. Like being sucked through a straw, then sprayed through one of those big, water-spraying syringes and splattering vaguely in his own form.

Pleasant thought there, right?

A cool breath teased the back of his neck. Will spun and backed away, only to find empty space. That blasted laughter only grew louder. Nico was toying with him. Payback for earlier, no doubt.

Oh, he's gonna get it for that.

Will made as though to turn left, counting a couple seconds to himself until he felt a sudden shift in the air around him, like something just filled the space behind him. The instant he felt that cool breath, that tingle down his spine, he thrust his front foot backward and buried it in Nico's belly, driving the wind from his lungs and sending him staggering backward into a maple tree. Quick as a flash, Will loosed his arrow. It struck true with a muted thump, piercing Nico's shoulder plate and pinning his right arm to the tree just in time to catch him as he tried to step forward and ready to attack.

"What the—oh, for the love of—"

Another arrow pinned his left arm in place. Will approached slowly, firing a flurry of arrows in rapid succession to pin his sides, his hips, and even his wrists so he couldn't try to jar anything loose before finally punctuating it by knocking the Stygian sword from Nico's grasp with a sharp smack of his bow across his wrist.

Satisfied, Will brought the tip of his bow up to tease beneath Nico's chin, grinning like a fool. "Does my handsome Prince of Darkness yield?" he drawled. Only a small part of him hoped Nico said yes. The rest?

Well, who wouldn't want the chance to play such games if they had a boyfriend as handsome as he?

Nico didn't disappoint. He glowered at Will, the slight tugging at the corner of his mouth the only tell that he enjoyed the thrill of their spar. "Take a guess, Sun Prince," he quipped in reply. Again, his eyes flitted to a point just over Will's shoulder. The tremor beneath their feet betrayed his intent.

Oh, one day he'd realize opening up to others meant they'd learn to read him like a book.

And that, Will decided, would be a horrible day. He'd lose his favorite way to tell when it was optimal teasing time.

He closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye, cupping the younger demigod's chin between his thumb and index finger as he drew in and brushed their lips together.

The rumbling beneath their feet ceased in an instant. Nico's eyes widened, that bright red blush returned in full, staining his cheeks. "S-Solace!" he squeaked. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What's it look like I'm doing?" Will murmured huskily. He tilted his head to one side, his smirk as crafty and wicked as a fox. "I thought I told you this was a private party. But here you are, calling more guys. Zombies, even! I'm hurt!"

"I-I don't … wha? W-We're on opposite teams, you dork!" For an instant, Nico wasn't the son of Hades. He was just a normal fourteen-year-old boy, pressing himself up against a tree like he couldn't just melt into shadows to slip away, trying to decide between escaping or surrendering to affection. Exactly what Will wanted.

He licked his lips. The very tip of his tongue tracing along Nico's, drawing a shuddering gasp and a hint of their sweet taste. And the little whimper Nico let out was just music to his ears. "Terrible," Will whispered. "Simply terrible. Guess that means there's only one thing left to do ..."

Nico barely had time to draw in a breath before Will cupped his cheeks and sealed his lips in a kiss. Their eyes met, Will's half-lidded as he moved to deepen the kiss, drawing succulently upon his boyfriend's and running his tongue against them in askance.

A little coaxing was all it took to melt that supposed cold heart, that strong, dangerous warrior who walked through Tartarus on his own.

He could feel Nico's shoulders tense, his back arching, before he slowly let himself exhale through his nose and surrender. He gave a contented sigh, all but melting into the kiss as he parted his lips, and their tongues came together in a sensuous dance.

Will heard his bow fall to the ground with a merry clatter as he let his hands drift up to run through that messy mop of raven hair he so adored. Smiling into the kiss, he pressed his chest up against Nico's. By the gods, his warmth and heartbeat only made Will long to hold him closer, tighter, and never let go.

He broke the kiss just long enough to savor that blissful expression, how Nico leaned forward to search out his lips again, a little croon voicing his want for more.

And Will was all to happy to give it. Another kiss to his lips, short and sweet, before he began to trail fluffy kisses along his jawline. He felt Nico begin to try to melt into shadow and slip free, if only to tackle and hold him tight.

Ah, not yet! Will shifted up to trail his nose along the edge of his ear, humming as he caught the lobe between his teeth and gave a little tug.

"Will!" Nico whined—he actually whined as he called his name—and strained against the arrows pinning him to the tree. Each time he began to try to escape again, Will was there with another tug on his ear, another kiss along his jawline or just beneath his chin to bring his mind back to where it belonged.

Only when Will felt his captive boyfriend begin to relax and begin to return his affections with desperate kisses and a murmured plea to hold him did he let his left hand wander to pluck the arrows free. A little early, but it'd be fine. Percy and the others had plenty of time to take care of their marks and get the flag, he could take a personal victory lap and enjoy this to the fullest.

That tingle down his arm as Nico managed to move his wrist enough to brush fingers and try to hold his hand.

Gods, did this boy know how adorable he was when he dropped that moody teen act? It certainly earned him another kiss, a little flick of Will's tongue against his lips as he continued his work. A reward that made the son of Hades putty in his hands.

At least, it did until Percy's voice rang through the forest. "Will! Heads up! Jason's got the flag!"

His head snapped up. Will broke the kiss and drew back, much to Nico's disappointment, turning to see—sure enough—Jason Chase barreling through the forest toward him as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Oh, come on!" Will groaned, cursing the interruption. He drew away from Nico and took up his bow, grumbling under his breath, "Just got to the fun part of this plan and of course the whole thing gets screwed up!"

"Wait, what? Plan?" He heard Nico sputter. "Excuse me, plan?"

Will pushed it to the back of his mind and nocked an arrow. He couldn't afford to let Jason pass. Everything hung on blue team winning the game—dammit, he was not losing this bet! With a determined grimace, he stepped out and took aim at Jason's chest with one of his blunted arrows.

At least, that was the idea until he felt something hook his ankle.

He stumbled and accidentally loosed his arrow, sending it flying about six inches over Jason's shoulder to strike Percy right between the eyes. Will looked down to find a skeletal hand gripping his ankle, Nico's work. Hastily, he began to nock another arrow and made to take aim. He'd only have a second to get another off before he was caught between two children of the big three.

Will looked up just in time to catch a stiff elbow to the mouth, courtesy of the son of Jupiter. Stars burst behind his eyes, his bow fell to the ground as he was sent head over heels to land hard on his face. His entire world began to spun and blurred. With a pained groan, he looked back just in time to see Jason take a running leap and the air swirl around him, and lift carry him over the river and out of reach of any attempts to grab him. Even Percy's efforts to smack him out of the sky with a last ditch wave failed.

The son of Apollo could only watch in dismay as Jason touched down on the opposite bank, his heart sinking as the flag changed to show the mark of Jupiter, the sounds of Percy's cursing drowned out by the conch horn's call.

"Victory for red team!" Chiron's voice rang out. He came trotting up through the forest with a kindly smile, nodding to Jason. "Impressive strategy."

Grinning, he gave a little salute with the flag and nodded to Percy as the son of Poseidon came forward to admit defeat. "Had to improvise a little at the end there to get around that whirlpool you whipped up—not to mention Frank."

"You had Hazel distract him so Piper could sneak up and charmspeak him to turn into a python and coil around my legs," Percy deadpanned. Turning to Will, he held his hands apart. "What the heck, Will? Thought you had Nico under wraps!"

"I did!" Will sputtered, gesturing wildly between Jason and Percy. "Right up until you yelled, I had him all … occupied?" He trailed off, his eyes going wide as he stared over Percy's shoulder at the tree he'd left Nico pinned.

The arrows were still there, but Nico wasn't.

A cold breath blew across the back of his neck, drawing a shiver as his heart dropped into his shoes. Slowly, he turned around and took a step back, bringing his hands up in a placating gesture as he found himself face to face with a fuming, blushing son of Hades.

It was at this point, in which he couldn't tell if Nico was more angry or flustered, that Will realized he'd made a grave—aha—error.

"Got me all under wraps, huh?" Nico repeated barely above a whisper. Shadows began to waft off his body like smoke, the grass beneath his feet withered and turned brown. "Had me occupied, did you?"

Will noticed everyone take a big step back, unwilling to get between the indignant son of Hades and he. Traitors, the lot of them. He forced a smile, nervous and crooked, and took another step back, just in case he had to flee. "N-Now, Nico—"

"You have three seconds." Those deep brown eyes narrowed, flashing with fury. "Use them wisely."

He didn't need telling twice. Will turned tail and ran like the Cerberus itself was on his tail.

That he made it to the edge of the forest before Nico finally caught him and pinned him to the ground was only a little consolation, dashed immediately after his boyfriend finished screaming at him and caught his breath, those eyes hardening and lips tugging into a wicked smile the likes of which would've made his father proud.

It was here that Will wished he could shadow travel himself. Whenever that smile came into play, he was always torn between anticipation and utter terror.

"So, Solace," Nico purred, leaning in until their noses touched. "Let's talk about my winnings."

Terror. Definitely terror.

Why Nico wanted to wait a full week, Will didn't understand. It wasn't like there was any doubt in his mind what would happen, not with those terms.

After all, he'd been about to do something similar. And, given the chance to dictate everything his boyfriend wore, Will had fully intended to capitalize. Who wouldn't?

More importantly, who in Nico's admittedly small circle wouldn't kill to see him in something other than tattered jeans, worn tennis shoes, one of his skull shirts, and that jacket? The boy was Italian, for crying out loud! Where was that sense of style?

It's Hades style, Nico always deadpanned like that explained everything. The one thing a flurry of kisses and sweet nothings in his ear couldn't seem to change. That grunge style suited him fine—more than fine, in Will's opinion, even if he might prefer to see Nico dress a little nicer at times—and no one could change that.

Which brought Will back to the current state of things.

He sighed as he gripped the collar of the bomber jacket he'd borrowed from Grant, one of his younger brothers, and shook it to try to air himself out. "Really should've asked dad if he'd mind easing up on the sun today," Will muttered under his breath. It wouldn't have made a difference, of course. His father would've probably chuckled, tussle his hair, called him cute and said he'd have to live with the consequences of a lost bet.

Well. If anybody could find Apollo these days. He hadn't been heard from since the end of the Second Giant War.

He'll turn up eventually, Will told himself as he climbed the black steps up to the porch of cabin thirteen, in all its ominous, looming glory. In the back of his mind, he could almost hear his brothers teasing him, that he could pass off as a son of Hades himself if he walked around in this getup all the time. If he didn't die of heatstroke first.

Will rapped his knuckles thrice upon the door. Barely had he finished before the door opened to reveal Nico, his eyes alight with glee and a crooked smirk spread across his features, and his usual attire sadly, ready to go.

Then Nico took a look at Will and all that joy just washed away. His jaw dropped. "What … what in the world are you wearing?"

Blinking, Will glanced down at his tattered jeans, old, grungy Nirvana shirt, and that jacket he'd borrowed from his brother. "Uh … clothes?"

"Solace, don't make me hurt you. Again." His eyes narrowing, Nico stepped through the door, his face a mask of disbelief and a hint of … disappointment? Slowly, he shook his head. "No."

"No?" Will's brows disappeared beneath his bangs. "I thought you would've gone for this, Prince of Darkness."

"Not. In. Public. You. Dork!" Nico jabbed a finger his chest, fixing him with a stern glare. "This isn't going to work. You didn't even let me pick the damn outfit like I was supposed to after I won your stupid bet! And after you—y-you …" he trailed off, blushing and turning away as his nerves failed him. He shifted in place and muttered, "Cheated."

Scoffing, Will crossed his arms over his chest. "Excuse me, I did no such thing! There are no rules against kissing my boyfriend silly in capture the flag! Especially not if he's a little punk whose shadow travel makes him impossible to capture and take to jail!"

Again, Nico poked him, hard enough to make him rock back onto his heels this time. "Using my powers is perfectly legal and always has been. Secondly, that's still not what I wanted you wearing!" He gestured wildly with his hands. "Why on earth would I want you dressed like me?"

"Then what would you have me dressed in, eh?"

The son of Hades froze in place, his face, neck, even his ears as red as cabin five. Nico averted his eyes. "I-I-I don't know what, but not that!"

Aha! Someone didn't think it through! Grinning, Will slipped behind his blushing boyfriend and caught him in a tight embrace, laying his chin upon Nico's shoulder. "What do you want me to wear, Prince of Darkness?" he purred in his ear.

In a moment Will would treasure for years to come, Nico covered his face and mumbled something incomprehensible.

"What was that?" Will planted a kiss just beneath his ear. "Speak up, handsome."

"I was gonna have you wear those jeans," Nico sputtered. "The ones that um … you know …"

The grin that split Will's face belonged more on the Cheshire Cat than a sun of Apollo. He knew the ones—the same he wore on their first date together, when he took Nico out on one of the canoes and caught him staring at how they hugged and accentuated Will's hips. If that's what Nico wanted, well, he'd get it.

Though not without a healthy dose of teasing.

With a little croon, he trailed his nose along Nico's ear and whispered, "Well, if you really want me in that, I could always go change. Oh, but I might need help finding them and making sure they look right—you won't mind helping me out, right?" Planting a kiss upon his earlobe, he added, "You'll have to behave, though. If the sibs catch you sneaking a peek, they'll never let you live it down!"

The look on Nico's face just before he turned and made to smack Will for the comment was well worth it. And when he caught the son of Hades staring unabashed as he slipped into those hip-hugging jeans, Will was quite happy to declare himself the winner of their little bet after all.

How could he ever lose when he could make his boyfriend squirm so deliciously?