Disclaimer: All rights to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

Themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression are expressed within this story. TRIGGER WARNING! Please do NOT read if these themes upset you. TRIGGER WARNING!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave me suggestions! Enjoy!

Will's POV:

It was December 28th. The cheer that Nico had had around Christmas time faded quickly, especially when Reyna, Hazel, and Frank left. The Romans had to return to Camp Jupiter the day after Christmas as they had left it praetor-less for too long already. He had been struggling with nightmares the past couple of days and had not talked to Will about them. He had also started cutting again, though he was trying to hide it from Will. And he had gotten some mysterious injuries when training with the Ares cabin. When Will had asked him about them, Nico had brushed him off, calling him overprotective. He had backed off considerably. He had eventually coaxed Nico into spending time with him for the day.

They had decided to go to the Underworld. Nico had shadow-jumped them to Persephone's garden, having permission from Will. They laced hands and started a tour of the gardens. They were walking when a dark cloud descended upon them.

"Your father requests your presence," Alecto said, snapping her wizened fingers.

Suddenly, Nico and Will were enveloped in a black cloud. Nico cursed and coughed, swatting away at the cloud. When the fog dissipated, they found themselves in the throne room of the Underworld, facing Hades himself. Will immediately dropped to one knee.

"Lord Hades, your highness" he muttered.

Nico rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "There's no need for that, Will." Will rose hesitantly, neck turning red. "Why have you summoned us here, father?"

"I appreciate the respect I get from some people around here," he said, looking at Will, and shooting a look at Nico. He rose from his throne. "You must be the Wayne-"

"-Will-" Nico corrected.

"-Will I have been hearing so much about. It's an honor to meet the boy that makes my son so happy."

"Father, please-" Nico complained

"Don't be rude. Why don't you tell me about yourself, Will?"

Nico looked exasperated. "Father, Will and I were attending to some important business. Please let us get back to it. Unless you summoned me here for another reason than just embarrassing me."

Hades' smile curled creepily, but the moment soon passed. "Why can't I meet my son's boyfriend? Isn't that a milestone in a relationship? When the boyfriend meets the family-" Nico grabbed Will's wrist.

"It's great to see you, father, but we will be going." They almost made it out the door before Hades called them back.

"You need to learn to be respectful to your father, boy!" Nico ignored Hades, continuing to drag Will out. "Wait, wait, I did call you here for a reason."

Nico abruptly stopped, Will running into him. He pivoted and walked over to face his father. He gestured for him to continue. Hades put his hand out, retracted it, and brought it out again, reaching and placing his long fingers on Nico's shoulder. Will couldn't tell who looked more uncomfortable.

"I heard some rumors," Hades said. "That you are dealing with some enemies at Camp."

Nico's face drained of color. Will thought back to the day he had found out that Nico had been beaten up at camp. Nico refused to talk about it with Will, but he could tell that the experience had been traumatic for Nico.

Nico looked pale as a ghost as he slowly turned to face Will. "You didn't," he whispered, disbelief lining his face.

"No! I didn't…" Will defended, but he was cut off by the Lord of the Underworld.

"I thought it would be in your best interest... I mean, I would be happy to... intervene on your beha-"

"Oh my gods, this can't be happening." A red blush spread across Nico's face. He shrugged his father's hand off and turned to look at Will. "How could you do this? You promised me you wouldn't say anything!"

Will stumbled over his words. "I-I didn't, Nico! I swear, Nico! I didn't!"

"Oh yeah, well then how did he find out? Have you been in cahoots against me with my own father?" Nico snapped. "I thought you respected the fact that I can fight my own battles!"

"I sent Alecto after you after I noticed that you had been injured, and not any injuries that you received on your assignments for me. She overheard you discussing the assault with Will."

"Hang on, she has been spying on me?" Nico was incredulous. "I knew you sent her after me while battling certain enemies, but even at Camp? In my cabin?!"

Hades looked worried. "I was just trying to look out for you. I want to provide assistance to you. I can help with these children and scare them off..."

Nico cut him off, eyes filled with rage as he looked at Will. "This is why I didn't want to involve anyone. He is being patronizing because I have defeated Titans and can't overcome a couple of bullies."

"I didn't say anything, Nico!" Will defended. "But you haven't said anything either! You were attacked by a fellow camper and you won't talk about it."

"You stay out of this." He pointed a finger at Will before he turned back to his father. "I don't need your help. What makes you think that you can just start helping now? After all the times I was bullied or beaten up as a kid in Italy, and in Westover, and in Camp Half-Blood," Hades looked surprised at the mention of Italy. "My memories from before you dipped me in the Lethe are coming back. So now, I remember every single time I was bullied as a kid. I was bullied because I was different. And not straight. I remember praying to my father, to you, to help me. Where were you then, huh?" Nico's voice was heavy with emotion, tears on the verge of spilling. Hades opened his mouth to say something, but emotions continued to pour out of Nico. "You weren't there! And you never were, no matter what. I have no idea why you are trying to make up for it now but please stop. I don't need your help."

"Nico, he's just trying to be there for you," Will stated quietly.

Nico turned back to him. "I almost broke up with you once because of your overprotection; don't make things worse for yourself."

"You cut yourself, son!" Hades reminded. "You keep hurting yourself because of this- this camper who assaulted you, who bullied you!"

"Oh, so you know about my self-harm too?" Nico asked, scathingly. "You know what, fuck off! Fuck you and your help and your invasion of my privacy. If I see Alecto trailing me again, you are going to regret it!" Nico whisked himself away into the shadows, leaving Will and Hades alone in the throne room.

"Well you can't say he doesn't have flair for a dramatic exit," Hades commented. They were silent for a moment before Hades spoke again. "I suppose that ends that. He obviously doesn't require my help."

"Wait!" Will called out at Hades' retreating back. "Are you just going to give up?"

"That is what has been requested of me," Hades stated.

"He's trying to push you away," Will explained. "That's what he does. He is scared of whoever this bully is, scared of being judged by you. And he is hurting himself because of it. And all you're doing is nothing? Because he asked you to leave him alone?"

Will knew he shouldn't be speaking this disrespectfully to a god, especially since the god was the father of his boyfriend, but he couldn't help it.

"What is there to do if he refuses my aid?" Hades asked, eyes flaming.

"Provide love and support. Show him that you care about him." Will politely suggested.

Hades turned away, waving his hand away. "It's no use! Every time I try, he pushes me away."

Will understood Hades' frustration. He knew how difficult Nico could be to deal with. "That's no reason to give up! That's another reason to keep fighting for him!"

Hades turned suddenly and got really close to Will; his face looming inches away. "You do not understand how hard I have fought for my son. To make sure he doesn't end up with me permanently! What gives you the right to speak to me like this?! He is facing this bullying even while you…" Hades poked an accusing finger into Will's chest. Will shrank back "…are supposed to be there protecting him. And he continues to cut himself. You, insolent child, are unable to prevent my son from hurting himself. You don't appear to be there for my son either, so do not lecture me about being absent!"

Will steeled himself and forced himself to stand up straight, his eyes determined. "I am not there for your son? Are you kidding me? Do not project your frustration at yourself at me. I provide love and support and try to give him a spark of happiness, which is more than you have ever done for him!"

Will suddenly felt a white rage at the God of the Underworld for all the hardship he had put Nico through.

"Do you know how many times your son has come to me, beaten up and bloody because of all the errands you send him on? Or from the bullies who give him a hard time for him being the son of Hades? Or for being gay? Do you know how many times I have had to rip him from nightmares where you are telling him that he is worthless? Or nightmares about Bianca, whose death you blame on him?"

Hades tried to open his mouth, but Will stopped him.

"Where were you when he fell into Tartarus?! Because he was utterly destroyed by that. He is still constantly plagued by nightmares. And you claim that I haven't been there when, in fact, I nursed him back to health and have helped to give him the hope and will to survive. So don't you DARE ever tell me that I am not there for your son. Because I love him more than anything." Will's voice echoed around the throne room.

Everything was silent for a few seconds before Hades started breathing heavily. Will screwed up his eyes, expecting to be turned into a pile of ash. But then Hades released his breath as if giving up and walked up to his throne. He collapsed onto it, head in his hands. Will let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in.

"You are lucky that my son loves you or you would have just been turned into a pile of bones. And you're also fortunate that you are correct. I am just unsure of how to be there for my son."

"Keep making an effort, and eventually Nico will come around and accept your help. He can be stubborn sometimes." Will said, carefully, not wanting to anger the god.

"You can say that again," Hades looked up, and beckoned Will to the throne. He held out his hand. Will warily took it. Hades shook it vigorously. "Thank you, son of Apollo. For being there for Nico and helping me to see the error of my own ways." Hades released his hand. "Keep an eye out on my son. Although it might not seem like it, I am very proud of his accomplishments and do not want to see him in the Underworld prematurely." Will affirmed by nodding. "You are dismissed."

Will nodded, blankly, shocked at the last two minutes. He had just yelled at the Lord of the Underworld! And he hadn't been killed. He looked around the entrance hall before he realized that he didn't know how to get home. Nico had left him- no, Nico had ABANDONED him in the Underworld.

He meekly made his way back into the throne room. "Excuse me, your highness-"

Hades merely looked amused, as he held up a hand. "I was wondering how long it would take you to realize that my son had deserted you with no means to leave. Say no more."

Hades snapped his fingers and Will was enveloped in a black cloud. He emerged coughing on the sands of Long Island. He turned and saw Camp Half-Blood. He wondered why Hades had deposited him there. He slowly rotated, surveying the beach. He spotted a dark shape, huddled in the shadows of the dunes. So that was why. He sauntered over to his boyfriend. As he approached, Nico glanced up. Will spotted tear tracks running down his pale face before a black sleeve wiped them away.

"I don't want to talk to you. Leave me alone."

Will sighed as he plodded down, right next to Nico. He kicked off his shoes and buried his feet into the warm sand. "Alright, well, we don't have to talk. We can just sit here." He leaned back on his elbows, closing his eyes as he felt the sun radiating down on him. It was silent except for the crashing of the waves and the distant chatter of the camp. Suddenly, Nico disrupted the silence.

"How did you get out?"

"You mean after you abandoned me?" He slit his eyes, sneaking a glance at Nico's face. He looked miserable.

"Oh, don't try to make me feel guilty right now," Nico muttered.

Will closed his eyes before responding. "Your father gave me an airlift." Nico didn't respond, so Will continued. "You know I didn't say anything to your father about the attack."

"Yeah," Nico said, absentmindedly.

"Do you not believe me?" Will asked.

"I do," Nico confessed. "I just don't want to think about the alternative. That Alecto was spying on me."

Will sighed. It was an extreme invasion of privacy. "Your father and I talked a little bit."

"I have no desire to hear what my father has to say," Nico said harshly. "I don't really want to know what you have to say either. You'll just lecture me about the attack."

"I'm trying to help you, Nico," Will said.

"And I'm trying to tell you that I don't need your help. I can take care of myself."

"Is that why you cut yourself?"

"You don't get to judge me." Nico defended.

"Nico, there is no judgment from me, but you have to realize that here to help you overcome your self-harm-"

Nico interrupted him. "Which is difficult to do. Especially with everyone always hovering, whispering behind my back, wondering if I'm okay. I'm not okay. And I'm struggling to overcome my... problem. But you being overprotective doesn't solve my problem. And I don't know if I can handle it on my own, but these past few months, I haven't been allowed to."

"But, when I was gone, you almost destroyed yourself." Will pointed out.

"I know. I had a low point. I haven't told anyone this or even address it myself, but I was so infatuated with you over the summer that I got dependent on you. And it was a terrible shock when you left."

"Oh, so I'm only an infatuation to you?" Will spitefully said.

"Will, that's not what I meant. You know that." Nico sighed heavily. "I tried to break up with you because I wanted to distance myself from that dependency that I have on you. That dependency also fed your overprotectiveness so that part is partially my fault. I allowed you to overprotect me."

Will looked sadly at the son of Hades. "I was just trying to be there for you."

"Trust me, I know. I know it wasn't your intention to overwhelm me. But you did. And I should have stopped you and myself sooner, but I didn't."

"Then what do you want to do?" Will was afraid to ask.

Nico took a deep breath. "I don't know. I think I just need some space for the next couple of days before I decide."

"Do you want to break up with me?" Will asked, bluntly.

Nico shook his head. "No. I know you didn't tell my father. And I know that you are trying to work on the overprotection thing but, I just need some space for a couple of days." He paused for a moment. "Things will get easier too, once you leave Camp to go back home. It will make it easier. Or I might leave Camp, to get away from it all."

"You shouldn't leave camp, Nico," Will urged. "You should stay where you are safe."

"I'm not safe here, though," Nico remarked. "I got beat up at camp; that's not safe." He stopped for a moment again. "I don't know what I'm doing yet. I just need space for a couple of days."

"Of course. Whatever you need to be happy. I would do anything for you." Will promised.

Nico laced his hand with his. "Thank you for being so understanding. I love you."

Will nodded, tears coming to his eyes. "I love you too."

Nico nestled his head into the crook of Will's neck. Will closed his eyes and prayed to the heavens above Please don't let him leave me. I can't lose him. Not like this.