AN: hey y'all. I've returned to post this chapter but I'm still working on the next one after this. University is unbelievably stressful which is why my updates are so sparse. My timing with these events and going with the books is a little off but we are going to pretend that it lines up. Alright, I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.
Themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression are depicted within this story. TRIGGER WARNING! Please do not read if these themes upset you. TRIGGER WARNING!
Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!
Nico's POV:
There was a rapid knock on the door. Will looked questioningly at Nico. Nico shrugged. He leapt up from the bed. It had been a week since Cecil disappeared. A week of tension for the whole camp as they searched everywhere for him. There were still daily search parties to look for missing son of Hermes. Will was besides himself with worry for his best friend. He and Nico had paid a visit to Cecil's mom, but no luck. It was like Cecil had disappeared into thin air.
Nico opened the door. It was Austin.
"Austin." Nico said coolly. He had been avoiding the Apollo cabin all week, only spending time with Will, trying to calm him down.
Austin eyes blinked, recognizing the cold tone. He did not address it. "Is Will here?"
Nico heard Will get up from the bed. "What's up, Austin?"
Austin looked to his brother. "We have a problem."
Nico felt a sinking in his stomach. "There's been another disappearance hasn't there?"
"Yes. Ellis Wakefield." Austin informed. "Sherman reported it this morning while I was talking to Chiron. We are organizing search parties now. Chiron needs everyone out there looking."
"This can't be a coincidence." Nico murmured. "I have a feeling that these are linked."
"What do you think it is, Nico?" Will asked.
Nico thought about it. The threat of the Titans was over. So what could it be? He thought of the looming feeling of dread he been experiencing the past couple of weeks. The dread usually went hand in hand with anxiety, but it was relentless, not giving him any breaks.
"Nico?" Nico blinked himself from his thoughts.
"Sorry. I don't really know. I have had this feeling of dread for the past couple of weeks. And the conversation with my father last week didn't reassure me so I have no idea what it is."
"They could have just left Camp." Austin suggested.
"Ellis I might understand. Having Ares as a father can be overwhelming. But, I don't really know much about him. Was he happy here?" Will said.
Austin shrugged. "We'd have to talk to Clarisse or Sherman."
"But, Cecil... Cecil had no reason to leave. He loved it here. And he hated going home whenever his mom asked for him." Will mused.
"Was he happy here?" Austin repeated Will's earlier question.
"What? Of course he was!" Will exclaimed. "Do you think he wasn't?"
"I don't know. I just... you haven't really been that close to him ever since..." he trailed off, looking at Nico.
Nico felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. "Since he started dating me? Because I've taken so much of his time?"
"Austin!" Will reprimanded.
"No, it's fine. Austin doesn't like me very much." Nico bluntly said.
Austin spluttered. "I never said that... that's not true!"
"Yeah, okay." Nico cut him off. "It doesn't matter. What matters is finding out what happened to Cecil and Ellis. Let's go talk to Sherman."
Will's POV:
"We will catch up Nico!" Will looked at Austin, with a withering gaze. "I need to talk to my brother."
Nico looked between the two boys. He shrugged and walked out of the cabin.
"Will, I can-" Austin started.
"What the Hades did you say to Nico to get him to think that you hate him?" Will asked.
"I haven't said anything to him!" Austin defended himself.
"Have you said anything about him? Someone could have told him." Will said.
"No, I don't go around gossiping about your boyfriend." Austin said. His eyes opened wide. "But, oh no..."
"What?" Will's voice was like a whip. "What did you say to him?"
"Nothing! Nothing directly at least... okay, so he brought you back from the Underworld and Kayla and I were treating you two. When we got you stabilized, we started talking about you two."
"Saying what, exactly?"
"Saying how we thought Nico was going to continue to hurt you and continues to hurt you! We don't want that to keep happening."
All Nico's comments over the past couple of days finally made sense. "Why? Why would you talk about him with him in the room? He is not the deepest sleeper! He probably heard everything!"
Austin looked ashamed. "We said nice things too..."
"Saying nice thins doesn't balance out how you were trashing him for 'hurting me' and how he is not good enough for me is." Will said forcefully.
"But it's true! All he does is hurt you." Austin exclaimed. Will opened his mouth to defend his boyfriend. "No! Let me talk before you go defending him again."
Will closed his mouth. Austin took in a deep breath. "All he does is hurt you Will. He says terrible things to you, he physically hurts you, he feels bad about it so he leaves you which hurts you. He is playing with you and your emotions and taking advantage of your overwhelming need to help everyone who is hurt! He is preying on the doctor complex you possess."
"How dare you say that!" Will was offended. Nico wasn't doing that. Was he? "Nico has been through a terrible time..."
"We've all been through terrible times, Will. It comes with the job."
"He went through Tartarus..."
"So did Percy and Annabeth and they are just fine."
"He lost his mother."
"Yeah? So did I, Will!" Austin said. "Look, I'm not saying he hasn't had a hard life. Because he has. Worse than most. But, you cannot allow yourself to be taken into his sob story. He needs to pick himself off the ground and actually want to get better. But, all he does is mope around and slice his wrists open, waiting for your sympathy and help. He's using you!"
Silence fell over the two brothers. Will wanted to punch Austin in the jaw. But he stopped himself. A seed of doubt worked its way into his mind. Could Nico... No. That's not the kind of person Nico was. Will shook his head from his thoughts.
"I never want to hear you talk about Nico like that again. Understand?" Austin opened his mouth, but Will was on a roll. "No, you don't get to speak. I love Nico and I care about his wellbeing. If he's using me, so what? I will let him use me if it will help him heal and get better. But that's the thing: he's not using me. He is struggling with himself and his mental health. He needs support, not people tearing him down. He alienates himself because he doesn't want other people's pity or them to think he just wants the attention. I know Nico much better than you, and I can assure you he is not using me."
"Believe what you will." Austin threw his hands up. "If I can't say anything that will convince you, I will just stop talking."
"Good. Now we have a son of Ares to find."
Nico's POV:
He was gone by the time Austin said "he's using you." When Will had first dismissed him from the room, Nico had struggled with staying behind and listening, because he knew that they were going to be talking about him. He made the decision to stay behind and now he was regretting this.
As he hurried to the Ares cabin, he thought about what Austin had said. He needed to get over himself and get better. He thought he was, when he asked for help from Will, but that was just using him and preying on his doctor complex.
He didn't want to use Will, so maybe he would just stop asking for help. He would stop asking and rely on himself. He wouldn't put Will through his pain or use him anymore. He needed to be okay. He needed to be normal. He needed to be happy and happy with his relationship, to show he was appreciative for Will. He needed to pretend like everything was okay.
"Nico, is everything okay?" A voice spoke out. He looked up, finding Sherman sitting on the steps of the Ares cabin.
Nico felt a lump in his throat. "Yea-" he cleared his throat. He was okay. He needed to be okay. "Yeah, I'm fine. How are you? What... what happened this morning? With Ellis?"
Sherman hung his head. "I have no idea, di Angelo. I woke up the cabin this morning, to go to the arena and train, and he... he was just gone. I looked everywhere. He just disappeared into thin air. All his stuff is here. He's just gone."
"You didn't hear anything during the night?" Nico asked. The story was similar to Cecil's. Creepily similar.
"Nothing. This isn't my fault." Sherman looked up at Nico.
"I know. No one is saying that it is your fault, Sherman." Nico reassured, putting his hand on his shoulder. "I don't think there is anything anyone could have done."
"But it is. Maybe if I had kept a closer eye on him. Made sure the other kids weren't as mean to him."
"This isn't on you, Sherman." Will's voice sounded behind Nico. Nico turned to see the two sons of Apollo approaching. Will looked at Nico, giving him the 'we need to talk' eyes. Nico averted his eyes, looking at Austin. Austin's eyes immediately looked towards the ground. "You aren't the head counselor. Clarisse is. She's just at college. This isn't on you."
"But I'm the one in charge."
"It's not on you, Sherman. It's not. Now, tell us everything you know about Ellis."