Stay

"You gotta keep up, di Angelo! That's the second time you ended up sprawled on your butt," Percy taunted playfully. The son of Hades merely rolled his eyes before attacking once more.

The five of the Seven, as well as Nico, Calypso, Cecil, and Lou Ellen were all on the training grounds either training or watching the others train. Calypso and Lou Ellen watched as Leo and Jason fought fire against wind. Jason was actually surprised to see Leo keeping up. Piper was coaching Cecil on his dagger technique while he fought Annabeth. For the most part it had been an easy-going day.

Nico had even managed to push back the sadness of Will leaving a few weeks ago to the back of his mind. Two more days and he could visit him for the weekend.

Percy swung Riptide in an arc, nearly catching Nico in the side. However, the son of Hades tucked and rolled out of the way before springing up behind the son of Poseidon. His black Stygian Iron sword was placed against his neck just as he turned around.

"You might have knocked me over a couple times, Percy, but I'm the one who has won three times in a row." This was mainly because Percy liked to play around (or show off) rather than win when it came to sparring with friends. Nico, however, was serious when it came to training.

"Whatever, Nico. Let's go again!"

For the next several minutes everything was right in the world. Nico continued to impress those watching with his swordsmanship and flexibility (he had back flipped to avoid an undercut at one point and sent Leo and Cecil into fits of laughter at how not many guys were that acrobatic). The son of Hades, despite missing a certain son of Apollo, was actually very content. He was not one bit prepared for the shattering of his very soul that sent him into a state of shock.

The fates must have really hated him.

"Nico?" Percy watched as Nico let his sword fall to the ground with a clang. This caught the attention of their friends nearby, causing them to turn and walk towards them worriedly. The black-haired teenager's mouth dropped and his eyes widened as if he were staring at a monster from Tartarus. Percy took a step forward, but that was when the son of Hades let out a horrible, heart-wrenching keening noise.

Nico dropped to his knees, his now shaking hands gripping his hair so tight it was like he planned on ripping it out. "No…"

Suddenly Jason appeared next to the demigod, squatting down and placing a hand on the smaller boy's shoulder. "Nico, buddy, what's going on?"

He shook his head, his breathing accelerating as his mind tried to focus on someone several states away. His breath hitched when the gravity of the situation set in. "Will's life-force," he choked as he stood shakily. "There's something wrong with it. It's flickering." Panic seized his voice as he turned to his friends with pure horror in his eyes. "I need to find him. Get every healer in camp to go to the infirmary; I'm bringing him back here!"

Before anyone could stop him, Nico scooped up his sword and disappeared alone into the shadows.

The first thing Nico saw sent him into a flashback.

He was ten years old, Bianca and Percy with him as he was led out of the school they had been attending for only a few months. Behind them walked a monster that had a human face, but was otherwise a lion except for the scorpion-like tail dragging behind it. The monster made comments about the recognition he would receive after the Titans won the war.

"Manticore," Nico hissed as he stared at the monster standing over Will a few yards away. They were outside of a house in the country, acres away from any sign of help. From his peripheral vision he saw a woman on the drive way. She seemed to be fine, just knocked out.

The monster whirled around with lightning speed to face him, its cold eyes lighting up as it took in the demigod before him.

"Why if it isn't my old student," the Manticore purred as its tail lashed around behind it. "Nico di Angelo, son of Hades."

"Dr. Thorn, soon to be dead Manticore."

Dr. Thorn laughed, a sound that had terrified Nico when he'd been ten no longer affecting him the way it used to. All it did was make him see red. He didn't have time to deal with this monster when Will's life-force was flickering just a few yards away.

Nico raised his sword, eyes narrowed at the beast before him. "I'm going to kill you."

"You are going to kill me?" It questioned with a grin. Its mismatched eyes regarded the demigod with some humor. "Years ago your friends couldn't kill me, and you're only a year older than the bunch. How do you expect to kill me all by yourself?"

"You hurt someone dear to me," he growled, the shadows around him contorting as they felt Nico's anger. Dr. Thorn didn't notice them curling around him until it was too late. The monster fought against his bonds, managing to hurl a half dozen spikes at the demigod before his tail was also subdued. However, Nico paid no mind to the three spikes sticking into the flesh of his upper arm and shoulder. His eyes were practically black as he placed his sword on the monster's exposed throat.

Dr. Thorn gulped. "Young demigod," it tried, "I was only joking about you not being able to kill me. I had no idea how strong you've gotten; that trick with the shadows is phenomenal by the way! You've shown that you can beat me, so how about you let me go?"

Nico put his face right in front of the human face of the Manticore. "Have fun in Tartarus."

With that the monster exploded into golden powder. Nico let his shadows bleed back into the ground as he ran to where Will laid on the ground, a dozen spikes littered across his chest and a few in his arm and leg.

"Will?" He spoke, trying to shake him awake. The son of Apollo didn't respond. Cursing in Italian, Nico quickly scooped up Will in his arms. It was awkward carrying him since Will was bigger, but luckily Nico was in shape. As he shadow traveled them back to camp, only vaguely reminding himself to come back and leave Will's mother a note as to where her son was, he stared down at his boyfriend.

"You're going to be okay," he said softly. "I promise."

"Where is he?" Jason fretted as everyone stood gathered in the infirmary. Everyone who had been present on the practice field, the Apollo cabin, and Chiron were all crammed into the building. "We were right there next to him; he could have grabbed any of us to come with him, but he chose to go alone."

Piper placed a calming hand on his back. "That's how he is, Jason. It's not you it's just that he's not used to asking people for help. I'm sure Nico's fine. He's strong."

"I know that, but—"

Shouting from the other end of the room cut him off. Standing on one of the cots was none other than the sole son of Hades, an unconscious son of Apollo in his arms. His brown eyes looked around the room pleadingly before he kneeled to lay his boyfriend gently on the cot he was standing on.

"A Manticore attacked him," he said as one of Will's siblings and Chiron went to the injured demigod's side. "The poison won't kill him, I know, but he's bleeding pretty bad and…"

Chiron whispered something to the Apollo kid, who then ran off to the supply room, before turning to a now approaching Calypso. Despite no longer being a goddess, she was still an accomplished healer. She began expertly pulling the thorns out while another Apollo kid quickly wrapped the sluggish bleeding that began right after.

"You are injured as well," Chiron pointed out. Nico sat down on the cot next to Will, nodding but not really listening. The centaur sighed, motioning another Apollo camper to take care of him. The son of Hades paid no mind to the kid that yanked the thorns out of his arm and shoulder; his eyes remained on Will's breathing but bloodied form. Though his life-force was weak it was not in any immediate danger. Still, Nico's insides felt like they were tied in knots.

"Manticore?" Annabeth asked as his friends suddenly gathered around him.

Nico nodded grimly as his shoulder and arm were bandaged. "Dr. Thorn to be specific."

Percy's eyes flashed with shock and rage. The monster had kidnapped Annabeth years ago, ultimately forcing her to hold up the sky for Atlas.

"What happened to him? Did you just go in and grab Will, or—"

"I killed him."

Those around him looked taken back. Annabeth opened her mouth to speak, awe in her voice. "How did you do it? When Percy, Thalia, and a few of the hunters went against them they weren't able to. They had to ask Mr. D for help."

Nico shrugged, ignoring the way the motion sent his shoulder burning. "My blade is Stygian Iron. It's a lot more effective against his kind than celestial bronze or silver. That and he was not expecting to be wrapped in shadows; he underestimated me and he paid for it."

"That's amazing," Percy said with a small smile. Nico had accomplished what he couldn't do; it was symbolic somehow.

The dark-haired teenage merely sighed, letting his shoulders drop. He turned to Chiron, who was watching Calypso treat the healer in front of him. "He'll be okay, right?" His voice was soft, tone filled with sorrow as he watched his boyfriend getting patched up. He should have trained Will better. He should have demanded that he stayed.

Chiron met Nico's eyes with a slight smile. "He'll be out of it for a few days because of the blood loss, as well as dizzy and needing plenty of food, water, and rest, but the worst is over now. He should be fine, Nico."

Exhaling in relief, the son of Hades stood up as the shadows around him began to wrap around him. "I'm going to make sure Will's mother is okay and that she knows her son is safe," he said just before disappearing. It was all he could do to get away from the stares he was receiving from everyone in the infirmary. Never once had anyone seen the son of Hades so afraid of death.

Late that night, after Will's mother was sure her son was safe and Will was still fast asleep in the infirmary, Nico sank into the chair next to his boyfriend's bedside. Despite eating dinner with his friends, all of them reassuring him that Will was safe and he didn't need to worry, something told him he couldn't just leave Will to sleep alone in the infirmary. Besides, Will had done the same for him. The healer either fell asleep on the stool or crashed on an empty cot. He could do the same for Will.

Quietly, as to ensure he wouldn't wake up the son of Apollo even though he was expected to wake up late the next day, he pulled out his guitar. One of Will's siblings had told him while he wasn't a child of Apollo singing did wonders for the health of the god of music's children.

"Love of mine," he started softly, "someday you will die, but I'll be close behind. I'll follow you into the dark. No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white, just our hands clasped so tight, waiting for the hint of a spark."

His eyes drifted shut as he pictured Thanatos coming to escort Will to the Underworld and Nico following right behind them. He wasn't sure if his father would allow him to give the son of Apollo special treatment, but as long as he didn't bring him back to life he thought he'd be able to keep Will by his side even if that meant him giving up his mortal life.

"If Heaven and Hell decide that they both are satisfied, illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs, if there's no one beside you when your soul embarks," Nico had to stop himself from imagining Will dying alone, without him there to pass on with him, "then I'll follow you into the dark."

"In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule, I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black. And I held my tongue as she told me, 'Son, fear is the heart of love'."Cupid's face came to his mind. "So I never went back."

"If Heaven and Hell decide that they both are satisfied, illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs, if there's no one beside you when your soul embarks, then I'll follow you into the dark."

"You and me," Nico could tell Will was awake at his point, his breathing having grown too fast to still be sleeping, "have seen everything to see, from Bangkok to Calgary." More like Italy and Greece. "And the soles of our shoes are all worn down. The time for sleep is now. It's nothing to cry about 'cause we'll hold each other soon in the blackest of rooms."

A hand rested on Nico's face then. He opened his eyes, surprised to see Will sitting up painfully and reaching his less injured arm out. Nico was about to give up on the rest of the song in favor of scolding Will, but the son of Apollo mouthed that he should keep going. He did as he was told.

"If Heaven and Hell decide that they both are satisfied, illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs, if there's no one beside you when your soul embarks, then I'll follow you into the dark.

Then I'll follow you into the dark…"

"You won't have to, Death Boy." Will's light voice said as Nico put his guitar to the side and lied next to him. Luckily their injured sides were opposite of one another so it worked out well. He took care not to jostle him too much, letting Will wrap his arms around him loosely as they lied facing each other.

Nico met Will's sky blue eyes with his own. "Will, I…"

"I'm fine. You don't have to be scared anymore."

"I wasn't scared!" He argued, but the defensiveness in his tone was obvious.

Will smiled, kissing his boyfriend on his forehead before continuing. "Sure you weren't. It's not like what happened when you almost faded at all. You're just strong enough to not become a sobbing mess like I was."

Nico shook his head. "I'm not strong, Will. The moment your life-force wavered I almost lost it. If you had died I would have… I would have died with you! I can't live without you, don't you see?" Tears appeared in his eyes after being held back for most of the day. "Will Solace, I love you. Will you please stay here at camp with me where it's safe? If not I am moving in with you and your mother. I'll become your body guard, because I'm never letting a monster or anyone harm you again."

At this point tears were streaming down his face steadily. After losing his mother and Bianca, if either Hazel or Will died, and to a slightly lesser extent his friends, he wouldn't be able to take it. He'd live in the Underworld willingly.

"I can't live without you," he repeated brokenly. "Will, Sunshine, please stay. Stay here with me, because I love you."

It was then Will's lips were on his, kissing him passionately while Nico pressed himself closer to the blond. A few seconds later, they broke apart and Nico saw the waves of happiness in Will's eyes as his entire body glowed faintly.

"Nico di Angelo," Will said as he touched his forehead to Nico's, "I'll stay."

"Thank you," the son of Hades said, his voice cracking with emotion. Never again would he let Will get hurt. He'd always be there to protect him, no matter what.

"Also," the son of Apollo added with some playfulness, "I love you more, Death boy."

AN: I'll Follow You into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie