The celebration of Calypso's cabin carried on throughout the entire night. Leo and Annabeth, along with the Athena and Hephaestus campers, were given many praises for the construction of the majestic cabin. It showed that when the smartest cabin teamed up with the best architects, anything can be possible. Calypso was beyond overwhelmed with her new home. Percy was smiling so hard, it hurt. He truly appreciated the dedication and commitment Leo put into building this new home for Calypso. Percy made sure to help in any way he possible could. It was his idea to place her new cabin more inward, away from the sea, because he knew she had been gazing at the sea her entire life. It was also his idea to help plant Moonlace in Calypso's garden. Moonlace could only be planted at night, and they only grew at night. It felt great working side by side with her, and not having that feeling of guilt threatening to overwhelm him. He knows that Calypso forgave him, but he still couldn't help but blame himself for the pain and sadness he caused her. Now, he didn't feel that way anymore. After hearing Leo's tear-jerking love speech, Percy knew Calypso had finally found her real home, and is now happy. He was glad when Chiron and Mr. D allowed for the party to continue throughout the night. Song and laughter filled the air, and everyone danced the night away. It was another night no one would ever forget.

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Will laughed.

And laughed some more.

Then he fell to the ground because he was laughing so hard.

Nico glared at him as Will continued to laugh his heart out. He was seriously on the floor, clenching his sides, with tears brimming at the edges of his eyes, laughing. Nico was a second away from stomping on his head. They found each other somewhere among the chaotic mess that was the celebration party. They talked and joked and laughed. Now, they were sitting by their friends and other campers, watching the campfire burn a shimmering gold as it reached up high into the sky. Nico couldn't even remember what he said or what had happened that caused Will to double over in sheer laughter. It was embarrassing, but no one seemed to care. No one even seemed to acknowledge the fact that Will was probably suffocating from lack of oxygen reaching his lungs. He surely didn't seem to care, himself. Will really wasn't stopping his insane fit of laughter. Nico was starting to get worried.

"Will, knock it off! Stop laughing. You look like an idiot." Nico berated. Will's laughter didn't seem to be calming down anytime soon, and Nico was extremely tempted to kick him.

"For the love of Hades, Will! Shut up!" Nico practically yelled. Will's laughter was quieting down, but not fast enough for Nico's liking.

Nico kicked him.

Will yelled, more in shock then in pain. He sat up and glared at Nico, a challenging smirk forming on his face.

"Did I say you could kick me, deathboy?" Will asked, his smirk never faltering.

"Did I ask for an invitation?" Nico shot back, sarcastically. Will laughed and stood up. He dusted himself off before sitting back down besides Nico. They sat in comfortable silence for a while, until Nico remembered something. He turned towards Will.

"Did you just call me deathboy?" He all but demanded. Will looked back at him with a confused looked. The question came out from seemingly nowhere, but a small smile gradually found its way onto Will's face.

"Yeah, I did. What about it?" Will questioned. Nico narrowed his eyes. He could hear the underlining challenge that was laced in Will's voice.

"I told you not to call me that." Nico said sternly. Will's smile never left his face.

"Well, you are the son of Hades. You practically are a boy of death. Besides, I like that nickname." Will admitted, honestly. Nico glared at him, but he would never voice the fact that what Will said made his insides twist with a strange sensation. Another damn feeling Nico couldn't put a name to.

"Well, I don't." Nico said, a little harsh. Will didn't seem to be put off by Nico's harsh tone, but after some time, Will sighed in defeat.

"Fine. No more deathboy." Will said. Nico smirked at his little victory.

"Good." He replied. After that, both boys sat in silence. They went back to gazing at the stars.

The night was simply beautiful. With the stars shinning brightly, and a gentle wind caressed the sky. Nico looked up to gaze up at the stars. Will did the same. Even though the smoke from the campfire clouded up the sky, they could still see the stars perfectly. The two demigods marveled at the breathtaking constellations. Nico tensed a little when he saw Orion's constellation. Will looked at him with confusion, but Nico ignored him. Before, Nico didn't mind the Orion constellation. He actually thought Orion was a pretty heroic figure. Now, after his multiple near-death encounters he had with Orion, he wasn't too thrilled about the guy anymore. Orion was resurrected by Gaea to hunt him, Reyna, and Coach Hedge down, so that he could prevent the Athena Parthenos from reaching Camp Half-Blood. He had a pack of wolves with him, and Nico still had his claw marks that scar his shoulders. He quickly looked away to another constellation. Orion's brought back bad memories that he didn't want to be thinking about. He couldn't find one in particular until his eyes landed on a certain one. It was a constellation of a girl with a bow and arrow. It took him a second to realize who's constellation that was.

It was Zoe Nightshade.

The Hunter of the Night. Nico wasn't there when Zoe died, but he heard about it from Percy and the gang. She was the previous second-in-command for Artemis, Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt, and her Hunters. She was killed by her father, Atlas, and Artemis transformed her into a constellation. She was a courageous, headstrong leader. Thalia took her place and she had died. Nico smiled up at her beautiful form. For some reason, looking up at Zoe Nightshade's constellation made him think about Bob the Titan. The one who Nico told to help out Percy and Annabeth when they were stuck in Tartarus. The one who sacrificed himself for them...

"Hey, Nico."

Nico snapped out of his thoughts and turned towards Will. He was looking at him with a concerned expression. Nico realized he had probably been making a sad face or something because he could see the worry in Will's eyes. Which he had to admit were some of the most gorgeous eyes he has probably ever seen. I mean, his eyes are pretty much the same as Jason's, but there was something more in Will's eyes that Nico couldn't find in Jason's. The way the campfire reflected in his eyes made Nico's heart skip a beat. There were just no words to describe the feeling he got when he stared into those mesmerizing gems. Nico didn't realize he was staring until Will spoke up, effectively waking him up from his dazed state.

"Nico, are you feeling okay? You look kinda pale." Will asked, concern heavy in his voice. Nico's stare turned into a glare. He bit back a sarcastic reply as he reminded himself that Will didn't know about his insufferable annoyance and hatred of that infuriating question. What Nico didn't know was why he wasn't lashing out towards Will for asking that pathetic question. If it were Jason or any of his other friends, he might have. Well, expect for maybe Hazel and Reyna, or even Piper and Annabeth. He probably would have stopped himself from lashing out towards Frank because of his innocent face, and it would depend with Leo. So, basically, only Percy and Jason would be at the receiving end of his violent sarcasm. Nico didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he thought about those two idiots. Nico let out a big huff before speaking.

"I'm fine. I'm just a little tired." Nico semi-lied. He didn't feel too tired, but he can guarantee that if he were to lie down in his bed, he would knock out instantly. Will didn't seem all too convinced with his answer, but luckily for Nico, he didn't push it.

"Do you want to head back to the cabin now?" Will asked. Nico shook his head.

"No, it's okay. I'm not that tired." Will didn't seem to be having any of that. He stood up and held out his hand towards Nico. He stared at it as if it would catch on fire or something. He looked at Will, then at his hand, then back at Will.

"What are you doing?" Nico questioned, as if it wasn't obvious enough. Will rolled his eyes.

"I'm helping you up. Isn't that obvious?" Will questioned back, his voice had a twinge of sarcasm which didn't go unnoticed by Nico. He refused to accept the extended hand.

"I know what you're doing, idiot. I'm asking why are you doing it?" Nico harshly asked again. Now, it was Will's turn to start getting annoyed.

"Just shut up and accept my offer, di Angelo." Will said with finality. There was no room in his voice for argument. Nico glared at him coldly, but eventually accepted his outstretched hand. The moment their hands touched, a jolt shot through Nico's entire body. It was as if a golden arrow had just pierced through his heart, but there was no pain. It was nothing like Nico had ever felt before. It was something Nico couldn't even explain. It felt like as though Will's one touch had vanquished all of his inner darkness, and resurrected his dead soul. Like a ray of heavenly light bursting through a little crack in a dark, prison cell, illuminating it. Nico could physically feel the warmth, kindness, and acceptance in Will's hand. It lit up the darkness that threatened to engulf him. Nico tightened his grip on Will's hand, afraid that if he let it go, he would lose him. Nico couldn't explain this sensation that arose when their hands connected. It was unnatural, in the most pleasant way imaginable. It was...it was...

"Nico, you okay?"

Nico jumped at Will's voice, which caused him to let go of his hand. He stared back up at Will, who was looking at him with a concerned expression. Nico shook his head and cursed at himself. He let himself get carried away by his thoughts again. His heart was beating erratically, and his hand was shaking slightly. He took a deep breath, calming his nerves, before chancing a glance back up at Will. He was still standing there with a worried expression, but he had retracted his hand. Nico tried to give him a smile, but it wasn't really convincing.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." Nico said, cursing his own stuttering. Before he let Will speak, he lifted his hand up again. Will looked at it with confusion, but accepted it. Nico didn't let himself think about the spark that jolted when their hands touched again. Will helped him up, and Nico dusted himself off.

"Nico-"

"I'm fine, Will." Nico cut him off. "I'm just tired." Nico ran a hand through his hair as he got the last of his breathing under control. Will was still giving him a concerned look, but he ignored it. He just wanted to crawl under his covers and go to sleep.

"Okay. Let's go." Will said in defeat. They said goodnight to their friends, and headed back towards the Apollo cabin.

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Nico was starting to miss his cabin. It's not like he didn't like Will's cabin. It's just that it was so full of...things and people. Two combinations Nico never really enjoyed before. He preferred solitude, a place where there were few or no people. However, ever since the war with Gaea, that has changed. Nico started enjoying other people's company. He hates being alone. Especially now since he knows that he doesn't have to be alone anymore. He enjoys warmth and light because he has always felt cold and dark. Will's cabin was so full of life and warmth, that it made Nico feel peaceful and calm. And that scared Nico. He was becoming too comfortable with this cabin, and he hasn't been in here for more than ten minutes. And as if his heart wasn't already acting up on him, he was pretty sure seeing his new bed situated right next to Will's bed made his frantic heart either burst from the sheer excitement that swelled up inside of him, or stop completely from fear. Nico couldn't decide. He hesitated by the door, which did not go unnoticed by Will.

"Oh, come on. Nothing's going to happen. I'm not going to bite you or anything." Will said teasingly. Nico rolled his eyes, but remained where he stood. Something felt odd to him, and he didn't like it one bit. He couldn't put a finger on it, though. Will gave him a confused look.

"Nico, what's wrong?" Will asked.

"I don't know. Something just feels a little...off." Nico decided to be truthful. Will's confusion didn't lessen. In fact, it may have intensified.

"Off? What do you mean." Will questioned again. Nico rolled his eyes, which felt like the hundredth time tonight.

"If I knew what it was, would I be telling you?" He replied a little harshly. Will wasn't fazed by it.

"Well, nothing's wrong here. I swear on the River Styx that my cabin isn't haunted or anything. Though, I'm sure you already knew that." Will said with a playful smirk on his face. Yep, Nico's heart definitely stopped when he saw that.

"Whatever." Nico said as he walked into the cabin. He walked over towards his bed. He inspected it, and it seemed fine. Nothing out of the ordinary. Then, he saw something black leaning against his bed.

It was his sword.

Nico quickly snatched it, and held onto it fiercely. He hadn't held his sword since before the incident. He didn't even realize how long it had been. It suddenly felt like too long ago. The pure, ebony blade radiated in his hands. The power of death and darkness was overwhelming, but Nico didn't feel scared. He felt calm. Relaxed and at peace with himself. His sword was his power. He controlled it. That only brought a wave of reassurrment that flooded all throughout Nico's body. Will looked on with a smile on his face.

"I thought it would be a good idea to put your sword next to your bed. I didn't know you missed it that much." Nico looked up at him.

"I don't remember giving you permission to take it away from me." He said coldly. Really, Nico doesn't like when people touch his sword. When he was captured by the two twin Giants, Ephialtes and Otis, and stuffed into a bronze jar, he had his sword stolen and used as a trap to lure Leo, Hazel, and Frank into a trap. That was immediately after they defeated and captured him in Tartarus. He had never felt so helpless before. Since then, he's never let his sword out of his sight.

"Hey, you didn't need your sword with you when you were at the infirmary. Safety hazard." Will said, defensively. "Besides, knowing you, you would have tried anything to get out of that infirmary. I didn't need you summoning a legion of the undead during your stay."

"I can do that even without my sword, Solace." Nico bit back. Again, Will wasn't even fazed.

"Yes, I'm sure you can. Now, put your sword down, and go to sleep, di Angelo. You need rest, and I'm not going to hear another word out of you." Will said, authoritatively.

"Yes, mom." Nico replied sarcastically. He placed his blade beside his bed, and climbed under the sheets. Will switched his lamp off and climbed into his bed. Nico knew that, as soon as his head hit the pillow, he would knock out, but not before hearing Will's goodnight.

"Goodnight, deathboy."

Nico thought he would have the best sleep of his life that night.

He didn't realize how wrong he would be.