Hey there! So here's the next chapter! I hope you like it and I would be really happy to see some reviews, it's always great to read them! :)
I don't own the characters!
Chapter 2
Nico POV
"Nico, you're going to be in my team during capture the flag!" A voice announced loudly and both Will and Nico looked up to see Percy and Annabeth walking towards their table. They were holding hands and Annabeth grinned triumphantly, so Nico supposed that she was on her boyfriend's team as well. Which wasn't a surprise since she'd played against him last time - and won (Nico had been on her team, together with Jason).
Seeing them together didn't bother Nico anymore, so he just grinned at them and nodded. "That's great! Who else will be with us?"
"Aphrodite and Ares." Percy replied immediately and smiled widely.
"So it's clear that we'll win." Annabeth added with a superior expression on her face. "No offense to you, Will. I mean, you Apollo guys are great, but we've got the stronger Demigods in our team."
At her words, Will nearly spat out his orange juice. "We won't be on your team?" He asked unbelievingly and looked from Annabeth to Percy and after that to Nico. His expression showed pure disbelief and Nico thought that he also looked shocked. But that couldn't be true, could it? Why should Will be angry because he's not on their team? After all, they'd played against each other several times before. But that was before you became best friends... A little voice inside his head said, but Nico quickly shoved that thought away.
"Afraid of losing against me, Solace?" He asked and raised his eyebrows slowly.
Will seemed to realize that his outburst had attracted the attention of the others, but instead of blushing he just shook his head. "No way, Death Boy. I just think about the effects losing will cause on you and your team."
At that, Nico crossed his arms. "Dream on, Sunshine." He'd whispered those words, so that only Will could hear them. He didn't think that it was the right moment for Percy and Annabeth to hear his nickname for the son of Apollo.
"Who said that we're gonna lose?" Piper and Jason sat down next to him and Nico saw Jason raising his eyebrows at his girlfriend. With a sheepish expression on his face, the son of Zeus held up his hand.
"Me?" He asked and made his voice sound uncertain, which made Percy, Annabeth and Nico laugh loudly. Even Piper couldn't stop herself from smiling and when he turned around, Nico noticed that Will was grinning as well.
"You're completely wrong. You can't defeat us." Percy made a gesture as if he'd already won the game and Annabeth rolled her eyes so that he couldn't see it.
"Then we should go and make plans, Seaweed Brain." The daughter of Athena stood up and grabbed her boyfriend's hand, so that he couldn't do anything except following her when she headed towards the Poseidon Cabin.
"I think they're sweet." Piper said suddenly and the three boys on Nico's table looked at her in a confused way. When she realized that they were staring at her, Piper only shrugged. "My mum's the goddess of love, remember?" No one of them had the intention to say anything to that, so Piper sighed and stood up as well. "I'll see you when the game starts." With those words, she left the table and slowly, Jason started to leave the table too.
"We'll win this, I'm sure of it." He said to Will, patted Nico on the shoulder and left without another word.
"What was this about?" Will asked and gestured towards the son of Zeus, but Nico just shrugged.
"I don't know. Sometimes he behaves as if I'm his little brother or something like that."
"And it doesn't bother you?" Did he imagine it, or was Will sounding angry? Well, he could tell for sure that his friend sounded displeased, which wasn't normal for him. But what...?
"I don't think that Jason could stop it. He's trying to show me that I'm accepted here very hard and it doesn't look like he would believe me when I tell him that I've already understood it."
Slowly, Will raised his eyebrows. "You have?"
"And in front of me sits the person who's helped me most to do it." It hadn't been easy for Nico to say those words, but now he couldn't take them back anymore. The expression on Will's face turned from surprised to shocked and afterwards to happy. The grin, which Nico liked so much appeared on his lips and he had to smile back at him. There was no way he could stop it. Will always made him smile and just... happy. Something no one else was able to do.
"Nico..." Will began and hesitated for a moment, which he used to stand up. Now wasn't the moment for deep conversations. At least it sounded as if Will was going to start one.
"We'll talk after the game, okay Sunshine?" Nico smiled at Will one last time before he turned around to walk towards the Big House, leaving the son of Apollo with a disappointed look on his face.
Nico quickly realized that Annabeth's strategy was working very well. They had decided that he should guard the flag together with Piper, who was hidden behind some bushes. They had searched for a place to hide for some time and now it wasn't possible to see her anymore. At least not if you were running towards Nico and the flag. Of course you could see her armor shining in the sun when you just looked around long enough, but during a game it wasn't very likely that someone did that.
There were many trees around him and it wasn't easy for him to see someone coming closer. But since Nico was a son of Hades, he could sense people around him. Of course it was easier when they were dying or already dead, but with living people it worked as well. It had taken him much time and practice to discover that he could do it. However, now he could tell when a person got closer to him. The only thing he couldn't do was finding out who the person was. For that, he still needed his eyes and ears, like everyone else.
Suddenly, there was a cracking sound behind him and Nico raised his sword.
"I'm sorry, I stepped on a branch." Piper hissed out of the bushes and he relaxed again. Nevertheless, he didn't let his sword sink. There was someone coming closer to them and it didn't take long until Nico could also hear footsteps behind some trees.
He took a few steps to the side, so that he was standing between the noises and the flag. Of course it could also be a trap, but then Piper would be there to help him.
The sound of footsteps became louder and after a few more seconds, he could see someone moving through the forest carefully. And then it hit Nico.
There wasn't just any other Demigod walking towards him. It was Will and a wide grin appeared on his lips when he saw Nico.
"Nice to see you again, Death Boy." He said and nodded, while he raised his sword as well. "However, I think I have to ask you to give me the flag. It would be much easier for you than to fight against me."
Right now, Nico regretted that he had helped Will to improve his fighting skills. Because the son of Apollo was really good at it and it wasn't always easy for him to stand against him.
Somehow, Nico managed to laugh. "You should really stop dreaming, Solace." He replied and it surprised himself how distant he sounded. Will seemed to notice that as well since he hesitated for half a second until he attacked him.
Their swords met and Nico could see in Will's eyes that he was sure that he'd win this fight. This made him determined to prove him wrong even more and he sidestepped quickly when the other boy tried to attack him again.
It seemed as if they just tried to hit each other for ages. It was clear that no one could win this fight without cheating and Nico prepared himself for something unexpected. They were moving away from the flag and into the forest. The only thing Will didn't know was that Piper was waiting in a bush only a few meters away from him and that she could help Nico very quickly.
"Are you getting tired, Death Boy?" Will asked and then Nico saw something he could use to get an advantage. He took a step to the right and hoped that the son of Apollo would do that as well. Because if he did...
"Not a chance. I've seen worse. And you?"
"Why should I-" Will couldn't finish his sentence. His feet got caught in tree roots and he lost his balance. However, somehow he was able to grab Nico's arm, so that they fell onto the ground together. Which meant that Will was lying on top of him now.
Nico's head had hit the ground, but luckily it didn't hurt very much. Either way, it took a few seconds until he was able to see everything clearly again. There was a worried look on Will's face and his cheeks were red. When he realized how close they were and in what position they found themselves in, Nico blushed as well.
Will just opened his mouth to say something, but he shook his head. He had to concentrate. Even if Will looked worried, it could also have been a trick (to be honest, Nico didn't believe that). "You lost." He murmured and suddenly, a large grin appeared on the other boy's face, even if his eyes still looked worried.
"No, you lost."
"I think you lost, Will." Another voice cut in and Nico looked up to see Piper standing next to them, a wide smile on her lips. "At least there are two swords pointing at you."
And it was true. Nico's sword was touching Will's chest, while Piper's pointed at his back. When the son of Apollo tried to stand up again, he realized that his sword had been close to his arm. Why didn't he notice that before? Maybe because Will had been so close to you...
When Will held out his hand to help him at standing up, Nico grabbed it quickly. They avoided looking into each other's eyes and suddenly, there was the sound of many people walking towards them.
"Didn't I tell you that we would win?" Percy asked Jason, who didn't look very pleased.
"Yes, you did. About two hundred times."
"So our strategy had been successful!" Annabeth grinned and hugged Piper quickly.
"And why are you covered in dirt?" Jason looked from Nico to Will and raised his eyebrows slowly. They both muttered something from falling to the ground while fighting against each other and before Jason knew what happened, they had disappeared in the crowd.
