I cleared my throat briefly, standing at the door of my cabin, about to step outside. I was struggling to keep myself calm at the prospect of my maybe-date with Will. Reminding myself to take deep breaths, I mentally gave myself a once over- clothes, hair, teeth, everything- and left the dark safety of my cabin.

The sun hadn't yet set but was well on its way. Chattering from excited demigods waiting to enter the woods rose in the air, which was warm and sweet and heavy. But all I cared about was walking across camp to where Will stood, blond hair reflecting the sunlight back to me. My stomach had that tingling pressure that came whenever I saw him and I felt myself smile, really smile, at him as he waved.

I was close enough then to see his wide grin and his face, covered in freckles.

"Hey," he said, sounding chipper as always.

"Hi. Hello." I cursed my nervousness as I drew my arms into my chest, gripping my elbows. But I was smiling, so at least he didn't think I was uncomfortable.

"Shall we?" Will turns towards the Big House. "I just need to do some last few things to prep for any emergencies."

"Alright."

Together, we walked to the Big House, him bumping my arm as we went.

Inside the cool, darker room, I saw rows of beds set up, with bandages and medical equipment on a table between every other bed, and ambrosia and nectar by the door. Seeing as this was the last capture the flag game before most of camp left (the last two weeks being devoted to prepping campers for their year away, handing out beads, and last minute training), Will probably wanted to let as many of his siblings as possible enjoy it before they possibly had to come aid unfortunate victims of the game.

"Do you like capture the flag?" I asked him after a moment, watching his long strolls down the room as he double checked each rolling table. He paused, tilting his head in consideration, before speaking.

"Not really. I only get involved if the Apollo cabin is leading a team, because as cabin leader I'm obligated to come up with the strategy. But I usually only stay for the beginning of the game and leave to help with injuries. I'm pretty useless, remember?"

"You're not useless!" I protested. "Medics are a vital part of this camp, and of each war we've fought." Will shrugged, and I was frowning at the self-condescention.

"Well, anyways, do you like capture the flag?"

I narrowed my eyes at his change in subject but decided to go with it. "Not particularly. Maybe I'd like it better if more of the cabins trusted me."

"Give it time," Will recommended. "They'll realize in time that you're a dork and they'll start to love you. But in the meantime, I suppose I'll enjoy that that means you're stuck here with me."

"Hey," I protested lightly. "Who are you calling a dork?"

"You, obviously," he responded, raising his eyebrows in an I-can't-believe-how-stupid-you're-being expression.

"Says you, the dork specializing in medicine at the age of 15," I snapped back.

"Au contraire, my friend. That makes me a nerd." Will smiled smugly and I leaned towards him, playful glare on my face.

"Using the term 'au contraire' makes you a dork."

"Oh, you wound me," is the highly dramatic reply Will delivered. "To discriminate against me for using French words!"

"See, this? This is why you're a dork."

"Alright, fair enough. We're both dorks. We're dorks together."

"Dork buddies," I suggested, and he laughed.

"Hey, are you hungry? I know dinner wasn't too long ago but I've got snacks if you are!" As Will said this, he waved his hand in a direction, presumably towards the snacks.

"I'm good, thanks, dork buddy."

"Do you need anything else?" he asked. I looked at him more closely, a bit more scrutinizingly. It was then that I realized that he was about as nervous as I was, and the realization, honest to gods, made me grin. It somehow managed to ease my comforts. I suppose it helped knowing he, too, wanted the night to go well, and I wanted to pay some of that comfort back.

I hesitated. "A hug, perhaps?" I suggested.

"Really?" he asked. It didn't sound incredulous or anything; he simply seemed takenaback at my wish for contact. Not that I blamed him. I had made him very well aware of how little I tended to care for physical contact.

"If that's okay, that is," I replied.

"Yeah, yeah, of course!"

When he drew me into the hug, and I burrowed my nose into the spot between his neck and his shoulder, and we wrapped our arms around each other, I found myself wondering why I minded it so much at all.

For one, the genuine comfort that stemmed from having something solid, warm, distinctly human before you, around you, with you, was a comfort I had seldom possessed the joy to truly enjoy. At least as my faulty memory served. But for another, that comfort stemming from Will in specific, with the weight that carried for the both of us, made the moment feel significant. He'd hugged me when I almost ran away, and now he'd been hugging me because I stayed. Because I worked to stay and to improve and to enjoy the small things, like warm hugs and conversations over bandage cutting and a good meal outside in the warm sun with the happy chatter of teenagers surrounding me.

I think that was the first time I had really and truly been able to say I was perfectly happy and content with my life in quite a while.

A/N: a bit shorter than usual, sorry, but it felt natural. some times you have to romanticize life, you know? and i want to show that with nico. some times the nap you take under the shade of a tree in the middle of spring or the taste of sweet tea during a hot summer day where your throat feels perpetually dry or the warmth of a cat lying on your lap for hours during the colder months is worth more as a memory than we tend to give credit for.

in other news, i would like to make this clear: to everyone who has supported this fic- following or liking it- thank you. but especially thank you to everyone who has left a review. whenever i feel lost on this story, or when i want to write more on the next chapter but cant, i turn to the review section and reread it. your love and support for this story means so much to me, so thank you to everyone who leaves a review

also happy 2 year birthday to this fic. i waited 3 extra days to post this part in celebration. sorry.