Chapter 9:

Nico Follows a Sunbeam

Nico was annoyed, but not really surprised, when he woke up Sunday morning and his shoulder muscles felt like they were slowly being boiled in oil and then set on fire. Regardless of his way-above-average ability with most combat weapons and subsequent strength, Nico was sorely lacking in the tied-to-a-tree-for-the-night training area, and was therefore suffering the consequences of the Apollo cabin's knot work.

He was going to complain to Will that next time he was kidnapped, he'd demand looser restraint.

And then he thought of Will, and Nico felt his stomach tingle and his cheeks burn.

They'd had a long conversation last night – ignoring the tree bit. Nico rubbed the back of his head, feeling the tender skin sting. But he remembered who else had rubbed his hair in that spot and reflexively dumped his face in his pillow. He was pathetic. One sunny-golden smile and curly yellow locks and he was a goner. Not to mention the blue-blue-blue eyes and freckles.

Nico hit his pillow again. He was patheticer than pathetic. And he didn't care if that wasn't a word.

After wallowing in a pool of self-pity and a conflicting emotional battle on how much he hated Will Solace and his gorgeousness, Nico decided to get up. He emerged from his bed like a zombie climbing out of a grave, hair in a black tangle, overlarge shirt slipping down one shoulder and Batman boxers creased. Nico rubbed his eyes with one hand, yawning. Getting up was hard.

Across the cabin there was a sudden noise, and the Hades camper watched dazedly as a beam of white light erupted from the cursed instrument known as Nico di Angelo's mobile phone.

Nico groaned loudly before hauling himself across the room towards the device, looking with bleary eyes down at the flashing notification that was telling him he had a text. Nico dragged his finger along the screen and opened the message.

So I was thinking midday practice. Is that okay with you?
- Will

Another ding interrupted Nico's carefully thought-out reply of Mmhm.

If you're awake by midday, that is.

Nico scowled at the words before looking at the time.

11: 49.

Well, I hope you're awake because I'm outside your door.

Nico looked up from the newest text to hear a knock on his cabin. He quickly dropped the phone onto the desk where it sitting, and flew across the room, rapidly pulling on a pair of black skinny jeans that were hanging out of his pants drawer. He didn't bother with his hair. He wouldn't have the time.

Calmly jumping for the doorknob, Nico pulled on the handle, and his retinas were instantly burned by a cruel attack of sunlight that sent him toppling backwards ungracefully.

"I know I'm hot, but you don't have to break yourself leaping away from my hotness," Will Solace said as he walked into the shadowy Hades cabin. Nico hissed from where he was on the floor, struggling to his feet. His shoulders were burning worse than his eyes.

"Woah, are you okay?"

Nico glanced up to see Will looking down at him, concern on his face. Nico's muscles gave out again as he tried to push himself backwards and stand.

"Next time you tie someone to a tree for an indefinite amount of time, give them a massage first," he growled. "Fucking hurts after a while, you know."

Will bit his lip and bent down, gently putting his hands on Nico's biceps and lifting him to his proper height, letting his feet touch the floor.

"I thought you did a lot of training," he said. Nico scowled.

"I don't train being kidnapped, Solace."

Will looked sheepish and he scratched the back of his head. Nico wasn't impressed.

"I can rub them down, if you like," the Apollo counsellor offered. "I'm the head medic, you know, and we have some coconut oil in the infirmary-"

"No," Nico cut him off, turning towards his wardrobe and pulling out a t-shirt, "it's okay."

He looked over his shoulder at Will and held up the shirt.

"I'm just going to get this on and grab my play. Then we can head out, okay?"

Then he grabbed the hem of his pyjama pullover and practically ripped it off.

Nico was facing the wall and preparing to dress himself, so he didn't see the ruby red blush explode on Will's cheeks and his jaw drop open.

"Uh… Nico- I think, um, I might… ah… wait for you outside. Yeah."

Nico's eyes flickered over his arms to see Will hurriedly leaving the cabin, ducking through the doorway and slipping off to the side. He blinked.

"O-Okay?" he replied, though Will was obviously not within hearing distance. Nico yanked his shirt over his head and evened it out, combing his fingers through his sleep-ruffled hair and thinking. What was that about? Nico's hand went to the small of his back, where a decent-sized white scar sat thanks to a particularly nasty game of Capture and Flag and not being on the same team as Ares. Was that what freaked Will out? He was a medic after all. Maybe he had an issue with not-completely-healed wounds.

Nico shrugged. Tough shit.

He left the Hades cabin, pocketing his phone – he wanted more pictures of Will – and Romeo and Juliet, before looking around. The porch was completely deserted. Will wasn't outside.

Nico stepped down, looking around and frowning. He was sure Will had gone right, so he went that way too. Maybe the blond forgot his play? Nico started towards the Apollo cabin, just down from his own. His head swung from side to side, looking for a familiar streak of sunlight-yellow hair and sky-blue eyes. Then he mentally face-palmed. Sunlight-yellow hair and sky-blue eyes? His infatuation with Will was obviously taking a dangerous turn into something that was worse than infatuation. Much worse.

"Lee! Come on, man. You need to help me!"

Nico froze at the sound of Will's voice. He wasn't sure what told him to duck behind a nearby cabin wall, but he did, sliding silently along it and blending with the shadows. Then he peeked his head around the corner.

Will was hanging off Lee Fletcher's arm, giant puppy-dog eyes in action. He looked desperate.

Lee was standing impassively, staring in the opposite direction and trying to cross his arms with Will still using one as a perch. His face was stony.

"Why don't you go bug Michael," the shorter boy snapped, glaring at Will. Will readjusted his grip and Lee swayed with the effort of staying standing.

"Michael's out," Will answered. "Please, Lee! He'll be out any second."

Nico got the general impression that he was the one they were talking about. Something about Lee's reluctance to help made him certain.

"What. Happened," the Apollo boy ground out, and Will breathed in relief.

"He took his shirt off, Lee," he almost whimpered, a blush on his face. "Right in front of me in the cabin! Oh my gods, his back muscles…"

Lee growled and tried to shake his pseudo-sibling.

"Don't drool over that midget on me!" he yelled. "You got yourself into this Solace, you get yourself out. Go over to Lupa's and preach to McLean and the Venus cabin, I don't want to hear this. I'm still mad at you for last night."

Nico pressed himself further into the wall. Back muscles?

"What did I do?!" Will said indignantly. Lee shoved his friend off him and Will hit the ground with a jarring bump.

"If you weren't so busy flirting the blue team wouldn't have gotten our flag," the smaller boy seethed.

"That's why you're mad," Will exclaimed. "Jeez man, that's kind of sad. And-" Then what Lee said seemed to sink in and Will covered his face with his hands, his cheeks flushing.

"Yes Will, it was that obvious," Lee told him. "You need some help, because I cannot and will not assist in your di Angelitis case. Just mack the kid already."

And then he turned toe, kicked up a cloud of dust, and stalked off, leaving a groaning and embarrassed Will and a heavily breathing, barely believing Nico di Angelo, who'd heard the whole thing and wasn't yet ready to accept it.

Back muscles. He had back muscles.

And apparently Will Solace liked them.

So stressing over school has made this later than it was supposed to be, not to mention I was whacked to hard in the brain with the Bat of Writers Block that it left me reeling for weeks. Sorry guys. Here, have some building and budding Solangelo as a gift.

PLOT!

Jasmine Out!