Happy Birthday, Dani! You're my best friend and a comfort when I'm feeling down. This is too small of a gift for someone as awesome as you, but it'll have to do.
*blows kiss* I love you, sweetheart! Sorry you'll see this a day late-I am posting it on your birthday, technically. :-)
Nico contemplates the pile of blankets on the bed opposite him, watching as they rise and fall. The subtle movement is the only reason he has to believe that his boyfriend's alive at all-he hasn't moved or said anything since Nico made him eat breakfast, too busy wallowing in his winter funk to do much more than get dressed-and that, only after Nico made him.
Honestly, it's not like the sun disappeared. He's such a drama queen.
Finally, Nico's irritation grows enough that he decides to say something. Again. For like, the two hundredth time.
"Will. It's time to go outside."
"Is it still winter?"
"Technically, yes, but-"
"Then no. I'm hibernating until spring."
"I saw a daffodil today."
"You saw a what?"
"A daffodil. Spring flowers are coming up. Hibernation is over. Go outside."
"But it's still cold."
"It was almost 60 degrees out yesterday."
"Since when?"
"Since yesterday. I just said that, moron."
"Why didn't you say something?"
"I did. Just now."
"Nico."
"It's not like you were being cooperative when I tried to talk to you yesterday! I tried telling you and you just kept cutting me off by repeatedly refusing to go outside."
"...I'm fueled by sunlight. How well do you think I function when I haven't seen real sun in months?"
"Hades, Will, you're such a problem child. Just go outside."
Will makes a pathetic sound in his throat, but his blond hair-considerably darker without the sun to bleach it-becomes visible as he starts to squirm out of his blanket nest. His blue eyes blink up at Nico, and gods-he looks like a sad puppy. Nico can't help but let his scowl fade a little.
That is, until Will makes a sudden lunge out of the blankets and dives for Nico, tackling him around the waist.
"No, Will, that's not going to-oh my gods." Nico half-sighs, half-growls in exasperation.
He looks down, shoving his hands into his pockets and refusing to return any signs of affection. Will's eyes are widened innocently, peering up at Nico from inside Nico's sweater.
This has become a regular occurrence ever since it first started to get cold. Nico didn't remember Will being this clingy or irritating last winter, but then, they hadn't been dating then.
"I feel sorry for your mother." Nico tells him, and Will just snuggles closer to him, letting his hair ruffle against Nico's chin.
"How are you so warm," he sighs, muffled.
Nico glares half-heartedly at the top of Will's head. It's not fair how hard it is to stay mad at his boyfriend for longer than a few minutes when he's being such an idiot.
"Will, we can't go outside like this."
"Why not?" Will mumbles. Nico can feel Will's mouth against his ribs as he talks, and he shivers before shaking his head and forcing a scowl back onto his face.
"Because we can't. Get out of my sweater."
Will groans reluctantly, but he starts disentangling himself from Nico, pulling his hands into his sleeves and hunching up his shoulders.
Nico sighs, but he grabs one of the quilts on his cabin's spare bed-Will's bed-and wraps it around the son of Apollo's shoulders.
"You really don't need this." He says as he does it, but Will just sniffles and widens his eyes pathetically again.
When they step outside, Will gasps, and he lets the quilt fall away from his neck a little.
"Oh my gods, the sun."
"Yeah, Will," Nico says sarcastically, rolling his eyes, "the sun."
After a few moments, Will lets his eyes fall away from the sky to look around the rest of camp, and his eyes widen again-in surprise and amazement, this time.
"Green." He manages, overcome.
My boyfriend is such a dork, Nico thinks, but he can't help the small smile that plays at his lips.
"It's March, Sunshine." He drawls, leaning back against the doorframe. "Persephone will be leaving the Underworld in a week or two, and Demeter is already less moody." Will doesn't say anything, still in too much awe over the sight of spring. "I'd hate to be in the Underworld right now, though. Dad's always depressed during the summer while Persephone's gone. It's disgusting. Plus, she's like, 85% of his impulse control, so he's more likely to do something regrettable like redesigning the throne room for the thousandth time, now with even more skeletons and creepy lights."
Will hums-he's not listening to a word Nico's saying, but at least he's polite enough to acknowledge the fact that he's talking.
Nico swears Will's freckles are already starting to darken. Two minutes in the sun, and he's reverting to his original Jimmy Dean Ray-Of-Friggin-Sunshine personality and appearance.
"Come here," Nico orders, straightening and taking his hands out of his back pockets. Will finally looks at him again, stepping closer. He's still wrapped in that ridiculous blanket, pulling the corners into his sleeves so his hands don't have to be out in the cold.
"You're a dork," Nico tells him, and Will opens his mouth to object. Before he can, Nico surges forward and kisses him, slipping his fingers into the belt loops of Will's jeans to tug him closer.
Will makes a surprised sound in his throat, and Nico smirks against his mouth.
When they finally pull apart to catch their breath, touching foreheads, Will mumbles, "I love spring," and Nico grins in agreement before pulling him in for more kisses.
They don't end up getting any farther outside than the front steps of Nico's cabin.