((Author's Note: Sorry, I think my chapters are progressively getting longer and longer as I go, my apologies.))

Bang! Crash!

There was a crashing from downstairs, loud enough to wake me up and I sat up looking around but my vision was disoriented.

Even though I could barely see with my blurry morning sight, there was one thing that I knew, Will wasn't in bed with me. His room was empty.

Oh gods, where is he? I thought, throwing the covers off of myself as I went to get my sword from where it was lying with my things.

"Will!" I heard Naomi Solace exclaim from what sounded like the kitchen, making my heart race. What is happening?! I thought, taking the steps down three at a time and I ran to the kitchen.

My boyfriend was kneeling there on the floor covered in flour, with a glass bowl on the ground in front of him, shattered. He had a few shards in his hands. "Ow," he muttered, shaking his hands before he glanced up and saw me. His mom was knelling next to him with her hand on his shoulder and looked up at me too.

Naomi saw my sword which had been raised, and I felt like hitting Will in the head with the butt of it for making me worry. It sounded like he was in danger!

"Sorry, I thought that…the crash worried me." I stated, setting it down on the wall beside the table as I knelt down beside Will, who was trying to pick up the shards.

And he tells me to be careful.

"Will, stand up, I'm going to go clean you up. You're bleeding." I told him, helping him up by him arms. Naomi gave me a grateful smile. "I'll clean this up, thank you Nico."

We walked over to the bathroom and he sighed quietly. "I wanted to make breakfast for you and my hand kinda slipped on the bowl while I was trying to pick up the whisk I had dropped and…well you know the rest."

His voice was soft, and I picked up a nearby rag and pulled out the first aid kit, I could get the shards out at the very least. He could direct me if he really felt the need to, but being a demigod you always needed the basics to necessities like this.

He sat on the counter and I stayed standing, his hands were over the sink, stained crimson red. They weren't deep cuts but I still hated to see him hurt.

"It's alright, thanks for the thought, but what a way to wake up in the morning." I muttered, grabbing some teasers from the kit and he let out a dry laugh. "Sorry, you came in looking like you were ready to kill."

I looked at him quietly. "I heard a crashing, you weren't in bed with me, I heard your mom yell and I thought that monsters had attacked. So yeah, I was ready to kill."

His face fell and he closed his eyes. "My bad, I'm really sorry."

All I could do was nod, my hands were shaking slightly as the fear that something bad would happen to him because he was around me came back faster that the train we rode here on. Thank the gods that this wasn't what I thought it was but it scared me halfway to hell.

I started to take out the shards, Will winced slightly but stayed quiet, finally twenty minutes later, his hands were glass free. "Now comes the fun part." I told him with a small sigh, pulling out the disinfectant. He closed his eyes in apprehension.

"This is going to suck." He grumbled, biting his lip as I ran the disinfectant over his hands. He muttered a long string of Greek curses under his break and took a long ragged breath.

Then I pulled out the bandages and pointed at him. "No more cooking for you, I'll cook from now on if there's a choice between the two of us." "Come on, I was trying to be careful." He complained as I wrapped the bandages around where the shards were. Luckily there weren't too many cuts on his fingers so it was mostly his palms and such.

"Look where you are now." I replied as I finished wrapping on hand and I held out my palm for his other hand.

He sighed and held out his left hand, placing it in my palm as I began to wrap it gently. "Why is it you always are so good at arguing?" He grumbled and I chuckled. "Maybe it's just in my nature."

"I managed to save some of the pancakes, so come back in when you're done please." Naomi said, with her easy to listen to voice carrying through the first story of the house like a breeze. Maybe that's why Apollo had fallen for her, however briefly he had. She had a strong spirit, that was plain easy to tell. Anybody who can send their child off knowing they're out of your control, but trusting that they'll be okay is pretty strong in my book.

It made me wonder about my mom, I knew bits and pieces from my past and her personality. I liked to think she'd be something like a mix between Percy and Will's moms. But I guess I'll never know. Unless she stayed in Elysium unlike Bianca, maybe then I would know…

"So what are the plans for today?" I asked him, after I finished with his left hand and he hopped off of the counter. "Hang out here; it's been so long since I've been home. I think that's what mom had in mind to."

He held up his hands like looked like half wrapped mummy hands. "Don't get me wrong! Camp is my home too but this…this is where I grew up, it's my roots." "I understand Will, it's fine." I told him glancing in the mirror and nearly winced.

I was in dire need of a shower.

"After breakfast would you mind if I," I nodded to the shower to out right and he nodded. "It's fine, now let's go. I'm in the mood for pancakes."

The two of us headed through the house, and I noted it smelled like lavender. An assortment of old pictures of everything from sunsets to a meadow in the peak of spring hung on the walls giving me the impression she liked to take pictures a lot, possibly why Will mentioned the Polaroid in the picture.

Inside the kitchen the smell of pancakes wafted around the room, it was something that I could get used to. The house gave off a peaceful feeling; this is what a family should feel like.

"Mhm, smells amazing Naomi." I said finding myself smiling and she smiled back, "It's been awhile since I've had to cook for anybody but myself, so I'm glad it does smell good."

She walked over and gave me a quick hug and kissed my forehead, "Good morning by the way, sorry for the stressful wake up."

I stopped, it seemed like the Solace family were huggers.

Not that I'm complaining.

"It's alright, good morning to you too." I replied, my smile growing bigger by the minute. I definitely see how she got a god's attention.

Will frowned from behind me, "You didn't say good morning to me." "Excuse me, Will, but I was busy fixing you up." I replied and he rolled his eyes at me. "Excuses, excuses."

We sat down around the table and he looked up at his mom. "Does my nose deceive me-" "No, Will, I put in almond flavoring just like you always ask for." She told him, using a spatula to put the silver dollar pancakes onto our plates.

The Son of Apollo placed a bandaged hand over his heart. "You do love me."

Naomi laughed and shook her head. "Was that even questionable to begin with?" "You and Nico both like to argue with me, don't you?" He answered the question with a question but I could see his smile reflected that of his mom's.

He also got his freckles from her; they dusted her shoulders which I could see because she was wearing a green halter top with some jeans and turquoise jewelry.

Next time I needed ambrosia it would taste like Naomi Solace's pancakes, they were a piece of heaven straight from Olympus I tell you.

"These are fantastic." I told her, stuffing my face with them and Will laughed, eating slower than I was for the first time in a life time. "I think that's the most I've seen him eat ever, mom, you're a miracle worker." He said as I ate another one.

She laughed and looked over her shoulder at the gas stove. "Do I need to make another batch?" "No, I wouldn't want you to-" I started to say and Will raised an eyebrow at me doubtfully.

He held up a hand and then pointed his fork at me. "Ma, he would feel guilty if he said yes but it's written all over his face. If you make the batch we could cook it on the stove." He offered and she finished the two left on her plate before standing up.

"Will, I don't get to do much for you anymore, I can cook another round of pancakes, I'm not an old grandma yet."

Yet.

Wait, what?

Will seemed pleasantly oblivious to her comment, if it was intentional or unintentional I didn't know.

I hadn't actually thought about a "family" with Will and suddenly the idea consumed my thoughts, maybe we could adopt an orphan at one of the camps or something. Almighty Apollo knew there was an abundance of them who needed somebody to look out for them.

Nico, stop it. You are a fourteen year old, you are not thinking about starting a family with your boyfriend who you haven't even had for a week now. I scolded myself, praying that my face hadn't given away my thoughts by lighting up red like a Christmas tree.

"You go be an independent woman then mom." Will said shrugging with his smile seemingly not leaving his face. "Nico, you're staring. Again."

FUCK.

"Sorry, thinking." I said quickly, shaking my head as I averted my gaze. He chuckled. "Don't hurt yourself."

I looked up at him, scowling. "I will not hesitate to throw my fork at you." "But I'm already crippled…" He pouted, holding up his hands, reminding me of a puppy who was trying to guilt trip you into giving them some food.

And damn it worked.

I rolled my eyes and set my fork down.

After breakfast I felt thoroughly stuffed and regretted eating that much but it had been so good, at the minute I was walking to the bathroom to take a shower I simultaneously wanted to crawl into Will's bed and fall asleep.

The shower was warmer than I usually had it but I didn't mind it for once.

Twenty minutes later I stepped out with a fresh pair of clothes and damp hair.

Will and his mom were in the living room, which was a square room which had a door out to the wraparound porch. It had two evergreen green couches and a tan rug over warm hardwood floors and potted plants hanging from the ceiling and a shelf with even more pictures and paintings.

This house, I noted, had only one t.v. and that was an older one that was in the kitchen. It was kind of refreshing, knowing Will didn't grow up in front of the t.v. watching mindless shows. (Or at least the shows I knew kids were watching now were mindless. Shows like Uncle Grandpa I wanted to burn with Greek fire.)

They were hunched over a large book, I realized, was a scrap book.

"Mind if I join?" I asked and Will nodded, tossing one of the spare pillows onto the opposing couch as I sat down.

They were pictures of him with his mom. "Most of these she took with her Polaroid," He explained, "That made me think of her when I found that old one in the camp store. I may have accidentally lost it when I was nine…" He added rubbing the back of his neck as he looked down at the book in his lap.

One of them showed him when he looked around seven by the sea playing volleyball with some older people that looked like college guys. He still had his front teeth missing and was giggling.

(I hate using that word, "giggling" sounds so frilly, I only ever use it when describing kids because Hades knows if somebody described my laugh as "giggling" I would shadow travel them to the top of the lava wall and push them off of it. All while "giggling". )

"That was when we took a road trip for Will's eighth birthday." She explained, and I looked to the picture right below.

One of the guys must have accidentally hit the ball too hard but the shot was of Will falling down as the ball hit him in the head. Good shot. I though, laughing and Will rolled his eyes. "I wasn't paying attention, that's the only reason I was hit." "Sure." I said leaning closer to the book.

He flipped through the books and I could see him growing up through the years, each picture he looked a little different. It was understandable why people kept scrapbooks like this, sometimes you could forget how much you've changed in a matter of a year.

His mom would interject whenever Will was being dramatic with a story: "Will, a bald eagle did not swoop down and steal your hot dog at Yellowstone." "You didn't try to climb on top of Abraham Lincoln and try to recite the Gettysburg Address. You did that at the base of his statue."

"You were an adorable kid." I told him as we finally closed the book. He turned up his palms and leaned back. "You say that like I'm not adorable now."

There was no way I was going to tell him that's exactly how I would describe him now.

That would be modifying and he'd never let me live that down, I could picture it now. We'd be old men, in rocking chairs, looking out over the sunset and he would say in his gravely old voice. "Still think I'm adorable, Lord of Darkness?"

What the hell is my mind coming to? I thought as I frowned at him. "Will, you are fifteen years old. You aren't adorable."

In a low voice I muttered, "You're handsome, dammit."

"What was that?" He asked in an innocent tone and Naomi laughed. "I need to get something to drink; I'll leave you two to flirt."

"Mom!" Will said, turning bright red faster than a cartoon character.

She walked away with a laugh like she knew something we didn't, or it was just a teasing laugh…I needed to get better at reading people.

After she had left the room Will closed the book and sat it on the coffee table between the two couches and rubbed his neck. "Sorry, she likes to tease, like a mentioned…"

I laughed and looked at the photo album, "I don't mind."

At lunch we ate some Ruben sandwiches (that woman couldn't cook a bad meal if she tried), and she looked at us. "So where are you two off to tonight?" "Berkley Hills," I replied, "California." She nodded and took another bite of her sandwich and swallowed before saying. "That's near San Francisco, right?"

"Right."

She nodded, "The train that comes through town goes out west, I'll drive you there tonight if you want."

I smiled and nodded. "That would be fantastic, thank you." "It's my pleasure." She replied, looking between her son and me.

In order to make the train we'd have to be there at six, which was only four hours away.

The way Will looked around the house I could tell he was trying to take in every detail even though something told me he already knew every detail of the place like the back of his hand. He watched his mom clean up in the hallway as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed after lunch.

"I forgot how much I missed this place, now that I'm here…" he muttered, and I put my hand on his shoulder. "Will, if you want to stay here while I go to Camp Jupiter that would be understandable. I wouldn't mind, I mean here is where your mom is-"

He shook my hand off of his shoulder and sighed. "You know as well as I do that if I stay any longer I may not ever leave. Seeing mom, I can tell how lonely she is…besides I have to look out for you to make sure you won't get hurt." He said, attempting a smile but his eyes were glassy.

Trying to lighten the mood, I lightly punched his shoulder. "Says the one who had to be bandaged up earlier." "You aren't going to let me live that down, huh?" He asked, his smile growing slightly but it was sad to see him like this.

He excused himself to get his things together when I heard Naomi ask me to come to the kitchen where she had something in her hands.

Her eyes reflected what Will's had looked like. "Since you're leaving tonight, and I'm just dropping you off…I don't want to get too emotional with goodbyes so I wanted you to give him this…"

It was a smaller book but it was unmistakable a photo album. "I may have taken the liberty to put in some of the picture we took together then, and notes and such…so if he ever misses home it won't feel too far away…" Her eyes were definitely teary now and I held up my hands. "No, no. please don't cry." I told her, gently taking the book from her hands.

She wiped her eyes and put her hands on my shoulders. "I'm glad you found Will, he's in good hands. He cares so much about others that he often forgets to take care of himself…" I nodded, that had occurred to me as well but knowing that his mom could see it as well worried me slightly. Was I not doing a good enough job at being there for him?

"I'll take care of him, I promise."

Naomi laughed quietly and leaned back on the counter, "I know, you rushed in here with your sword thinking he was in trouble."

An embarrassed laugh escaped me as I rubbed the back of my neck. "I…uh…sorry about that by the way." "No need for apologies. It's fine." I replied, and I heard the shower in the bathroom turn on.

Taking the chance to slip it into his bag while he wasn't in the room, I quickly left and walked upstairs to his room and opened up his bag before stuffing it inside.

I sat down on his bed and looked around wondering what it might have been like, was he homeschooled, did she know about Apollo being a god before Will was sent to camp? Probably, now that I was thinking about it.

What was it like for Will first getting to camp?

There were still so many things I didn't know about him, probably just as many things that he didn't know about me. I hoped I would be able to have him confide in me more, but that seemed like a hypocritical thing to say when I still had so much trouble coming to him when I needed help.

Why are relationships so stressful?

"Hey Nico." Will said walking in, dressed in a faded orange t-shirt that I assumed was one of his camp T-shirts. He seemed to have a lot of them. He had on worn out jeans that were cut off just above his knees and a pair of blue flip-flops.

"Hey Will." I replied as he sat down on the bed next to me. He held out a thin white headband that I hadn't noticed he was carrying and pursed his lips. "This was on the doorknob of the bathroom with a note from mom."

He held up a finger and tried to impersonate his mom's voice, the voice reminded me of that furry red creature (Elmo I think was its name?). "I'm not going to tell you to cut your hair but at least pull it back."

I laughed at the voice he made and how he stiffened his back so it looked like he was trying to be a British nanny or something, combined with the voice I couldn't stop laughing. He laughed too, and pulled it on. At first it looked like a necklace because it was hanging around his neck and he puffed out his chest. "Could I pull off this look?"

Then it hit me, he was trying to pretend that he was completely okay. He was being overly funny so that I wouldn't worry and it nearly worked. That was what concerned me. I should know him better than that!

"Will." I stated, sitting up again and he looked at me confused, "What, Nico?"

He pulled it over his hair, though a few loos strands popped out and hung in front of his eyes, I could finally see his forehead.

I leaned on my knees and held up my chin on my right hand. "You're pulling a Leo." "Leo…?" He asked, not following and I waved my hand as I explained. "Covering up sadness with humor, haven't you noticed?" "The few times we hung out he seemed pretty-" He cut himself off and his lips formed a straight line.

"Okay, I see what you mean." He waved his hands and shook his head. "But I'm not doing-" "William Solace, that is exactly what you're doing." I replied not looking away from him.

He sighed and looked at the ground. "Better do that than worry you and mom." "No it's not; I am your boyfriend, meaning I'm here for you. You're supposed to come and talk to me if you ever feel down, alright?"

I got up off of the bed and stood in front of him and tilted his chin up so he'd look at me. "Alright?" I repeated, frowning slightly at him.

And he calls me dense.

"Alright." He murmured and I sat down beside him.

He didn't look over at me and I reached over and put my hand on his shoulder. "Come on, talk to me, what do you need right now?"

Will didn't reply, but he did turn and wrap his arms, pressing his face into the crook of my neck. "Let me just stay like this for a while okay?"

I nodded and closed my eyes, wrapping my arms around his back. He didn't want to leave, he wanted to stay with his mom, he felt guilty for leaving his mom alone, he felt guilty even still because of all of the deaths he believed were his fault…he just needed to feel like he wasn't alone.

Maybe I do know him better than I thought I did

We stayed like that for a solid five minutes, not that I had been counting or anything.

He pulled back and gave me a small smile. "Thanks Nico." I smiled back and gave him a small nod.

We walked downstairs and I found Naomi in the living room. I crossed my arms and tapped my foot, trying to figure out what to do. "Everybody is getting so down, before we go we need to do something that isn't emotional at all, and fun. Any board games? Monopoly?"

Will cringed, "Ew, no."

That was really the only board game I knew that was still around from my time.

"Mythlomagic…?" I ventured and he laughed. "Sadly, no. Mom could never figure it out."

Naomi shrugged helplessly. "It's all a bunch of strategies I don't understand."

Bless your heart you poor woman for never being introduced to the magical game that is Mythlomagic.

Then Will shot up like a jack-in-the-box and ran over to a cabinet in the far left corner and pulled out a game with a grin. "In the mood for Trouble?"

Trouble, as I soon learned, was a game all about luck that could get insanely intense. You popped a bubble that had a dice in it and that determined where your different colored peg went.

"Oh my gods, you could have moved a different peg, Will! Why'd you take out mine?!" I asked, throwing my hands up as my red peg got sent back to the start by Will's yellow. He cackled and rubbed his hands together. "All's fair in love and war, Mr. di Angelo." "I hate you." "Love you too." He replied with a wink as Naomi went, taking out Will's peg.

He stood up and pointed at the board. "No fair!" "How in the world could I cheat at a game like this?" She replied laughing. "Sit down; you're being more dramatic than your father was."

There was another line of Greek curses that escaped my boyfriend's mouth. If I told Naomi she'd probably wash his mouth out with soap, but I didn't because I had a sailor's mouth as well. Only I cursed in Italian most of the time.

"Four pegs in home, I won!" She exclaimed standing up, and I clapped for her. "Good job, I know if this one," I nodded to Will, "had have won I wouldn't have heard the end of it." "You can bet your angsty butt on that." Will replied, poking my side with my finger.

She laughed again then checked the clock in the corner of the room and looked outside. "You boys better get your things together; we'll have to leave here in ten minutes." She told us, as she began to pack up the game.

I got up and stretched, feeling like my back was stiff before I headed upstairs and Will was close on my heels. We picked up our things and he cast a wistful look around the place.

"Do you need a few minutes?" I asked him and he shook his head. "No, better not to." He replied, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

He didn't notice that it weighed a few extra pounds.

The Son of Apollo walked around each room briefly almost saying a silent goodbye with his eyes before he walked out onto the porch to wait until his mom started up the car.

"This was nice." I said quietly, looking out at the setting sun, lighting up the clouds in pastels from pink to purple. There was a soft breeze and he closed his eyes. "It was, I can't thank you enough for taking me with you."

I looked over at him and laughed, "I wasn't just going to leave you behind." "I know that, but still."

I nodded quietly and we watched the sun grow closer to the horizon with each passing minute.

"Come on, boys, time to go!" Naomi called from the other end of the house and I stood up with Will as he took a long breath before going to his mom's car.

The ride there passed faster than I would have hoped, I was already growing nostalgic about the house, Will must have been going through hell.

Finally the station came into view and Naomi stopped the car and parked it. "You'll come visit again I hope?" She asked me and I nodded, "I wouldn't miss it for the world." She laughed, "Thank you."

We all got out and paid for our tickets, the time to board was only a few minutes away. "Will…" She started then hugged him, "Be safe, please." "I will." He murmured, with his voice cracking. "You had better look out for him, he's a keeper." She added, and I laughed quietly.

They let go and he gave her a sad smile. "I love you mom." "I love you too, Will." She replied, getting teary eyes and she took a step back. "I'd better leave, if I have to see you off then the waterworks will come and nobody wants that." She rambled slightly before giving me a hug. "It was good to meet you Nico."

She gave us a small wave and walked away without turning around.

Will sighed and looked at the ground. "I hate goodbyes." He muttered, shaking his head as the rumbling of train could be heard off in the distance.

I took his hand in mind, squeezing it softly. He looked down at me, "Can you promise me we won't say goodbye to each other?"

All I wanted was to say yes. Yes, I'd never have to leave, yes I'd never die and I wouldn't have to say goodbye.

But I couldn't.

So I was silent, I gave his hand a small squeeze and said softly, "I can promise I'll do everything I can to make sure that never happens."

With that, we boarded the train, hand in hand. To whatever our trip held in store for us next.