Nico knocked on the Apollo cabin's front door. There was no answer.

"Hello? Will? Anyone inside?" Nico asked tiredly.

He knocked again. "Hello?" He asked morr insistently this time.

He gritted his teeth, then unclenched them. He had absolutely no reason to be mad at Will, and Will had every right to not open the door.

But after a while, Nico carefully pushed it open anyway.

He found Will sitting listlessly at the beds. There was no one around. All the patients from the war had returned to their own cabins. Likely recovered.

"I was knocking on the door. Did you not hear or…" Nico trailed off at the end.

He tried to sit down beside Will but he shifted away. Nico's plastered smile dimmed.

"Either way, I suppose I was more or less formally invited to your cabin?" Nico attempted.

"So...what do we do now? Should i…" Nico was losing hope. So this was it. So this was how he messed up his second crush. Or whatever placement crush this one was.

Will let his breath escape in one big lump of air. "Look. I'm not mad at you."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "Right."

Will sighed. "Okay maybe a little. But...we don't have to be weird or awkward around each other, or the camp. We can just be...ugh. It's so hard to explain."

Will tried to express what he meant with his hands. "You know? You understand what I mean?"

"So I can still call you sunshine?" Nico asked, and Will nodded.

Nico hesitantly took Will's hand and paraded internally when he didn't wrench it away. "...can i hug you?"

"Huh? Uh yeah-oh!" Will exclaimed when Nico wrapped his thin bony arms around his body. The air left his chest in a flash.

"You know, if i hadn't confessed to you yesterday, i probably wouldn't ever have." Nico admitted shyly.

Will drew back in shock. "Never?"

Nico tousled his hair. "Well...we were just beginning to get along and my life was really just a mess at that point of time. And...i was afraid that if you didn't like me back, I wouldn't even have a friend that I could confide in."

"Dude! What in Hades' name do you mean by that?" Will burst out. Then he collected himself. "Is it also because of our rivalry thing?"

Nico shrugged. "You mean the one you indirectly caused? Yes, partially."

They both laughed light-heartedly. Then Will clasped Nico's hands and looked deeply into his eyes.

Nico's gaze fell to his lips. They looked so bright and red. So soft.

He moved closer in.

"Will anyone come in?" Nico whispered softly.

"No they're all at breakfast and camp duties." Will whispered back equally quietly.

Will caressed Nico's cheek, earning a shudder from the smaller boy.

Their foreheads touched, and soon after their lips. Nico's eyes were wide open, but yet he was still somehow washed over by the smell of Will's hair.

Gods Will was such a good kisser, and Nico wondered if he was letting Will down.

After that, however, his mind was only filled with one word.

Christ.

Nico pressed his lips harder on Will's and felt Will's hand rest on his shoulder, then snake up his neck.

He felt Will's fingers grip his hair and pull him in further. In the spur of the moment, Nico raised his hand up to Will's jaw and drew him in.

Slowly, their hands dropped back down to their sides and found each other's somehow in the mess of the crumpled sheets.

"Wow." Will uttered. Nico brought his fingers lightly to his own lips and brushed them slightly. Then he realised his right hand was on Will's arms. He hurriedly withdrew them too.

Nico, with a dash of red running across his cheeks, awkwardly fiddled with his hands. "S-sorry. I got carried away." Nico looked to his shoulder where Will's hands had once been.

"No. It's fine." Will replied back, a little shaken. Then he pounced onto Nico and hovered above him. "That was-where'd you learn to do that?" Will asked. Then he touched his red lips in amazement.

"Why? Was it that terrible?" Nico said, blushing even harder now.

"It was...beautiful." Will corrected, awed.

Then his eyes drifted to Nico's lips again. "Can we...can you teach me how to kiss like that?" Will asked, clearly embarrassed.

But this time Nico didn't falter.

"Of course." He breathed and leaned in once more.

...

(Three months later. Will returned to Singapore for a family party without Nico (family gathering thing). They announced their get together to the seven, and yes, Leo finally came back. Nico was constantly being sent on missions, and Hades let the two of them take their DCs from the houses and use them outdoors. Hades forbade Nico from using his shadow-travelling because he feared he'd lose his son to the shadow realm. Hazel and Frank returned back to camp.)

Will wriggled in his sleep. He whipped around, there was no one in sight. He looked down at his hands, and besides the blood that began to crust on his skin, Nico's limp body lay there, still and unmoving.

He screamed, then sat up quickly. He had been having a lot of nightmares lately, and they almost always revolved around Nico. None of them ever did become reality though, but it always, never failed to scare him.

But this time, it had been so realistic. He had blood all over his hands and they stained his clothes. He stared at his hands, and the sudden flash of lightning outside gave it a light red shimmer. Will clipped his tongue between his teeth.

He tossed off the blanket and chewed his fingernails. He took deep breaths and cradled his body.

"Holy crap." He muttered to himself over and over again.

He caught sight of his DC in the corner of his room, and with shaky hands, he pressed the call button.

"Come on...pick up." He mumbled.

The dull ringtone took on a flat voice. "Will? What are you doing awake at this hour? Go back to sleep!"

Will rubbed his bleary eyes. "Are you on a mission for Hades?" He asked.

"No. I returned from the graveyard yesterday. Why?" Nico responded.

Will put a hand to his chest, relieved that Nico was indeed alive. "Will?" Nico asked.

"You know how you're always on those stupid missions fo-"

"Important." Nico sighed.

"Those stupidly important missions for Hades and I've just been here for the past few days not knowing what's going on."

"Will. It was your decision to go there. You can always come back if you want." Nico said.

"Yes, but it's just-what if something happened to you? I can't be there to heal you." Will lay back down on his bed and combed through his hair.

"I want to be able to see you again i guess. And I know, it's willful and just my wishful thinking. I just…"

Will stopped due to lack of proper words. "Be careful."

Will heard Nico groan on the other end of the line. "I'll be careful alright?"

"When have you ever been?" Will counterracted, tearing at the roots of his hair exasperatedly.

"Did you call me just to tell me this?" Nico asked.

"Of course not! I just had a nightmare where you died and it was my fault...and...and…"

"Will darling, please. Come on! Can't you hear me now?"

"Yes i can. I...oh my gods...it feels so weird without you, okay?" Will's voice lingered on the line longer than he imagined. "I miss you. Happy now?"

Nico was silent for a moment, then broke out in raucous laughter. "Yes." He answered after a whole minute of laughing.

"Why are you laughing? I'm not kidding!" Will protested. And even though he knew Nico couldn't see it, he crossed his arms to emphasise his annoyance.

"I know you're not." Nico said. Will heard some movement on Nico's end. "It just...i suppose i expected you to say this earlier in to your stay at Singapore."

"Nico. Shut up." Will grumbled.

As if Nico didn't hear anything, he added. "I'm coming over."

Will couldn't believe his ears. "Wait what? Really? Now?"

And even though Will couldn't see Nico, he knew he was chuckling. "You sound like you really needed a hug."

Will frowned. "I do not. And isn't the journey hours? You aren't allowed to use your shadow-travelling and you know that. Besides, you'll only reach tomorrow late morning."

"Don't worry bout that." Nico said plainly. "I just...really want to see you too...in the flesh, not just an image. Is that...ok?"

Will was literally wordless. "Sure. I'd love that." Will forced out.

"See you later then." But Nico didn't hang up. Not yet. "And Will?"

"Hm?" Will asked back.

"Thanks for calling. I appreciate it."

Nico hung up and immediately ran out of his cabin and out of the camp as a whole. No one dared to stop him, and no one did. It was afternoon at Long Island (sorry i actually have no idea), and people were roaming about. There were new campers, even more so than usual, and camp was bustling. Leo had finally returned, with Calypso, and Nico just gave her a curt nod when she touched down.

Now, Nico just ran toward his bike. That's right. Will had finally gotten to teaching Nico how to ride, and he had progressed from the bicycle to the motorcycle. It was surely a more efficient mode of transport than a bicycle.

He rode on the bike, for exactly how long he wasn't sure. All he knew was that halfway, the bike ran out of gas and he had to go fill up the tank.

At the fuel station, he rested a while and thought about it.

"What am i doing here?" Nico asked himself, frustrated. "What if he changed his mind? What if he's too busy? Tomorrow is the party anyway. And everyone will be there. Naomi, his extended family, and even Kayla and Austin were specially invited as his siblings."

When he finished filling up the tank, he threw his hands up into the air and groaned. "Gods…" He mumbled to himself softly, aware that no one else was around other than the workers there (who were looking at him pretty suspiciously but he paid in the end anyway so who cares). He threw his hands up in the air.

"If Will has changed his mind, so be it." He told himself at last.

Then he hit the road again. After a long journey of around another six hours, Nico finally reached familiar surroundings. He removed his helmet and his long black hair poofed up softly.

His dyed hair had grown way too long and Nico had decided to just cut it off, much to Will's excitement and Zu's disappointment. Nico ran his fingers through his hair, then walked up the steps to Will's front door.

"Well, no turning back now." Nico muttered and rang the doorbell. It was like Will had been standing behind the door the whole time for it flung open no longer than one second later.

"You are ridiculous!" Will exclaimed. Nico just looked back blankly at him, then wrapped his arms around Will's torso.

"Well...it was worth it." He mumbled and smiled into Will's jacket. "Do you still want me to be here?"

Will pulled back slightly. "Why? Regretting already?"

Nico pulled in closer. "No. Not really." Nico's arms went to Will's jacket and he pulled him in for a kiss.

Then Nico snuck a peek behind him, and when he saw no one there, Nico pushed open the door. He pinned Will against the wall and Will, in return, snaked his arms around Nico's torso up his back.

"I missed you too." Nico breathed and drew Will in for another kiss.

"Oh hi Nico. Wasn't expecting you here." Nico stopped abruptly and turned around. "Don't bother about me i was just getting a drink."

"Hi Kayla." Nico promptly replied and turned yet again to a few young faces.

"Who's that?" They murmured among themselves.

Kayla just waved her hand and they dove back into the room. "Will invited his boyfriend over."

Rather embarrassed, Nico unpinned Will and gently tugged his collar and led him back outside.

"I'm so so so sorry about that." Will apologised later, and turned to glare at the children's faces that were eyeing them from windows.

"That's a really big family. Must be cool huh?" Nico said wistfully instead.

"Can be. Anyway...wanna get out of here?" Before Nico even noticed it, Will got up and extended his hand out to help Nico out.

"Catch up on things…" Nico stood up.

"In your room?" Nico's heart beat quickened, and the heat from his neck moved up to his cheeks and ears.

"Yeah."