AN: In the lame excuse for a story below, you will find my attempt at feels. Please tell me how I did and how you think I can improve!
Will's POV
Ever since I woke him this morning, Nico has been acting off and it is starting to scare me. I know how strong he is, and I'm fully aware that he hides his true feelings from those around him. So if he is slipping up, something huge must be wrong. I'm glad for the possibility of slipping through his defenses, but what if I can't help him? What if he breaks completely?
These are the questions that play on my mind as we eat. Nico and I are the only ones at the Hades table today, for which I am kind of grateful. Nico's friends are actually quite intimidating. Though I'm not sure he is aware that they are his friends. Or, if he is, he doesn't know what friends are for since he seems to try to take on everything alone.
At the end of breakfast, when I glance at him for the hundredth time, the sad expression is back and I want to hug him. I don't, of course. Instead, I say, "Angel, I know something is bothering you. And I was going to just let you deal with it, or ask one of your friends for help, but… It is really scaring me. Please tell me what is wrong." He slowly turns his head to look at me.
"Sorry I'm not as cheerful as you'd like me to be, Solace. But if you went through what I did, you'd hardly be giddy either." He snaps, but I can tell that he is still off.
"Damn it, Nico." I scowl and take his hand. "Come on," I pull him to a more secluded spot. "Look, I don't know everything you've been through, but I know some. And I know how strong you've had to be to survive it all. I'm certainly not concerned because you aren't beaming, I don't expect that!" My voice raises and I notice him flinch ever so slightly, so I try to calm down. "That isn't the problem, Angel. The problem is the look you get when you think no one is watching, when you're not as concerned with your façade. Nico, if you could see…" I grit my teeth. I've never had my father's way with words, only his healing abilities. And I never really minded until now. "Damn it all." I hiss under my breath then say, "Look, I'm worried about you. More than I'd like to me; more than I should be, probably. But because I am, I have noticed how heartbroken you look sometimes and I want to help! Please Nico." My voice goes up an octave at the end, but I don't care. For a while, I think he'll just brush me off again and I feel devastated, but then his chin quivers the slightest bit and his eyes start getting filled with tears. "Angel," I sigh and reach for him before remembering that he hates being touched and starting to pull back. However, before I am able to, he is in my arms, whimpering, with tears streaking down his too-pale face.
At first I'm shocked stiff, but then I pull him closer into I tight embrace. The sounds he is making brings me to the verge of tears as well, but I just bite my lip and rub his back, praying to any god or goddess willing to listen that he will be okay. When I run a hand through his surprisingly soft hair, he buries his face in my neck and I blush deeply. We stay like that for what feels like an hour, but is probably less than five minutes then he steps away, his eyes trained on the ground. "S-sorry. I didn't m-mean…" He stutters then scowls, irritated at himself. A moment later, he sighs and sits on the dewy ground I join him immediately.
"You… asked what's wrong. Um." He licks his lips nervously before continuing, "Please don't get angry, but, I decided that, after I leave the infirmary, I'll let myself fade." I tense, my pulse rising, but I keep quiet. I don't want to interrupt, but… "Don't look at me like that." He sighs and I wonder exactly how I'm looking at him. "It's just. Well, I had agreed to the three days, but after that, I was just going to say my goodbyes and go b-because there just wasn't a reason not to. I figured that I had earned the right to die on my own terms and since I w-w-wasn't needed anymore I'd just…" He looks away from me. "But then you started saying things… Just little comments that made me wonder if you cared, really cared, or were just being a doctor." He takes a deep breath and I have to force myself not to hug him again. More than anything, I wanted to assure him that I do care about him—for him. But I let him continue uninterrupted.
"When you took me with you to watch the sun rise is when I really started thinking that… It would have been easier for you to have gone alone, since I'm a hassle in the mornings. Then you asked to eat with me and…" He growls, "Fuck! I don't know how to do this." He admits, "I'm really not the best at opening up. But, I want to know something… Why are you being so considerate toward me?"
"Because I like you," I say honestly and he looks at me like I've grown an extra limb, "A lot, Death Boy. I know you don't feel the same, but it doesn't matter. I would do anything even just to be your friend. And I refuse to let you fade, now or ever." I tell him fiercely.
He stares at me for an agonizingly long time before looking down again. "It is really hard for me to believe that." He confesses, then in a low whisper he adds, "But-I-really-like-you-too."
"Well it is true. Wait, what?" I frown, wondering if I heard him correctly.
"I like you too, Sunshine." He says more clearly and I feel like I'll explode with happiness until he continues, "But, it is hard for me to believe that you feel the same. I've been trying to accept that people give a shit, but it is really hard. Jason has helped, I guess. And sometimes I can believe it, but mostly, if I try to tell myself that people care, I just feel like I'm lying to myself."
"Let me prove it then." I practically beg.
He raises an eyebrow, "And how will you manage that?"
"I'll think of something." I smile and he frowns before nodding.
"I guess you can try…"
"Death Boy, can I hug you?" I ask cheerily. He stiffens, eyes widening, then relaxes and nods again. I wrap him in my arms and pull him to me. "Fair warning, from now on, I'll be doing this whenever I can." I whisper and he splutters, making me laugh.
AN: I enjoyed writing that, but I'm not sure how well it turned out… Review? Pretty please?
