Will woke up early the next day almost buzzing with excitement. Today was going to be a beautiful day, he just knew it. The birds were singing outside his widow and the early sunlight shone softly on his face. Summer was right around the corner and he could feel the excitement it brought with it. It had nothing to do with the fact that the demon had told him his name and he hadn't tried to attack him of course. A smile stretched on Will's face at the memory. He had made progress with the demon and today he would come even further. Feeling light with optimism, Will jumped out of his bed and started his day.
"Good morning Nico" Will began cheerfully "I brought food." The demon was sleeping in the corner of the bed, facing the door, sitting up and curled into a ball. He woke with a flinch when Will walked in and looked around franticly like he did not know where he was. It took a few breaths before he was awake enough to notice Will and he looked like a dear caught in the eyes of a predator when he saw the other man. The young physician looked Nico over with a critical eye. He looked as if he had regained some of his strengths which was good, but he was still sickly and starved, not to mention covered in bruises and cuts.
"So I put some small pieces of apple and blueberries in your oatmeal today." Will said mostly just to let the demon get used to his voice. "It's important that you don't eat anything too rich in protein or fat right now, as your stomach can't handle it yet after being starved for so long, but I thought a little bit of fruit wouldn't hurt." Will placed the food on the bed and went to sit in the chair. When Nico took the bowl Will softly reminded him to eat it slowly. He stayed until the younger man had eaten everything, before he went out to find the stuff, he would need for the demon's treatment.
Will came back with a big tray of salves, bandages and equipment. He knew this would be a very unpleasant experience for the demon, so he would have to go about it carefully. He started by giving Nico a warm herbal tea to ease his pain. The demon pulled a face at the bitter taste and Will laughed a little before putting a teaspoon of honey in the mug. Nico looked surprised at the kindness and drank the tea without any complains. "So you have a bit of a sweet tooth." Will mused while storing this information for a later use.
He decided to start with the demon's arms since that would be the least painful place. He only needed to check the cuts and reapply a new dressing. Will moved his chair so he was sitting in front of the bed and within reach of the demon. Nico looked alarmed at the sudden closeness and he flinched when Will hold his hand out to him, he looked like he was afraid of being hit. Will smiled sadly, it was going to be a long road to get the young demon to trust him. It was going to take a lot of patients, starting right now, so Will did not move an inch, even when his arm started to grow heavy. They sat there for what felt like hours before Nico realized that Will was not going to hit him or move away anytime soon. The demon eyed Will's hand like it was a snake ready to bite and glanced at the young man's face, trying to read his intentions, but Will just smiled reassuringly. Very slowly the demon moved his hand to Will's all the while looking out for any sudden movement.
"I'm going to change your dressing." Will told him and lightly touched the bandaged arm. He unraveled the cloth under the demon's watchful eyes. He winched when the last layers were removed and pulled on the wounds but didn't react further.
Nico's arm was black and blue with bruises and had burn marks as well. The young physician hold Nico's hand and wrist lightly and smeared healing salves on the wounds very carefully all the while anger burned under his skin. Octavian truly was a twisted person if he could do this anyone, let alone someone who looks like a child. Will took a few calming breaths, there was no use thinking of that anymore. Nico wasn't in the dungeon any longer, and he would never go back there again, not as long as Will was alive. The young man silently vowed that, while he continued his slow work on the other arm.
Will inspected the demon's nail-less fingertips and decided to use his healing magic to speed up the growth of the new nails. Nico seemed very fascinated with the golden glow that emitted from the healer's hand, and a stared at it open mouthed as it passed over his own fingers. Will could not help but feel a little proud as he saw the wide eyes demon. He let out a chuckle as Nico tried to touch the glow with his other hand. A very small smile tucked at the lips of the younger man when the light grew to engulf the other hand as well and Will's ears grew a little warm. He was glad that Nico's attention was on his magic, so he would not notice the other man's red face. Will scolded himself, he was a doctor damn it, he wasn't supposed to blush over his patient's smile. Those thoughts disappeared like snow on a warm day, when Nico directed the small smile at Will. The blush returned ten folded and he had to look away in embarrassment, but he couldn't help the smile of his own that stretched on his face.
Their merriment could unfortunately not continue as the next part was going to be more difficult. Will wanted to look at the wounds on Nico's torso and back, but the demon froze up with dread as soon as Will tried to get close to his back. He bared his fangs at Will and growled warningly. They young man knew why his patient was scared. When he had seen his back the day before it had looked like some kind of morbid artwork with lashes forming an intricate pattern on his pale skin. Will almost had not believed his eyes the first time he had seen the wounds. It must have taken hours to deliver those. Will's mind unwillingly formed an image of Nico tied to a post with Octavian standing over him with a long leather whip, sweat running down his back and red-faced with exhilaration. The thought made him sick to his stomach and Will tried to banish it from his mind quickly and focus on the problem in front of him. How could he get the demon to willingly show him his back? A solution came to him as he watched the small demon bandaged but still bare torso.
Will practically jump up from his chair and ran to his room all the while telling Nico to sit tight for a moment. He came back with a bundle of clothes and a small brown paper bag. Nico watched him, partly with curiosity and partly with apprehension, as he unfolded the clothes and revealed a fresh white shirt and a pair of brown pants, but what really got the demon's attention was the paper bag's contents. Nico got a longing look in his eyes as Will smugly showed him the bar of light-brown chocolate. Chocolate was a rare luxury, especially this far from a big city, and this particularly bar had been a gift from the town's mayor. Will had gotten it after he had healed his son's broken back.
"Let's make a deal Nico." Will said with a smirk. "You'll get a new set of clothes and the whole chocolate bar if I get to treat your back." The young man gestured to the things and to Nico before pointing to his back.
Nico frowned, seemingly thinking it over, trying to guess what Will was saying, before he gave a curt nod and turned slightly so Will would have access to the wounds on his back.
Both Nico and Will were ready to pass out when Will was done stitching and healing the patchwork that was Nico's back. Will had used almost all his magic just to make the process bearable for the small demon, and it would take a few days for him to get it all back again.
Will decided to go get his dog back after leaving Nico to sleep. It was nice to see Cecil again and the two spend some time catching up. Cecil assured him that they hadn't had any trouble with bigger demon attacks while he had been away. There had been two smaller attacks, but the guard had quickly put it down with no casualties.
Will went home with a smile on his face.
Mrs. O'Leary was overjoyed to be home and was already running around the house to check if everything was as it should be, when she caught the scent of something new. She stopped her running and sniffed the air loudly, before making a beeline towards the guest room. The door hadn't been closed completely and Mrs. O'Leary pushed it all the way open. She started to growl deeply when she caught sight of the demon on the bed. Nico on the other hand had woken up with a shock. He had scrambled back in the effort to get as far away form the dog as possible. He didn't even stop when his back hit the wall.
"Mrs. O'Leary stop!" Will yelled and ran to get his dog. He grabbed the collar and hawled her back from Nico. "Lay down you stupid dog, you're scaring him." O'Leary whined but did as she was told. Will ran a hand trough his hair in frustration and sighed deeply. He sat on the bed and started to speak softly without looking directly at Nico. He spoke almost half an hour before he could fell the bed shift as Nico sat down beside him. Will smiled at the demon and hold out his hand for him to take. The younger boy didn't make a move so Will nudged him very softly with his shoulder. Nico made a face but placed his hand very carefully in Will's. He gave him a reassuring squeeze before motioning for Mrs. O'Leary to come closer. The demon tried to scramble away again, but Will held him in place. He moved Nico's hand so Mrs. O'Leary could sniff it. She did so curiously before deciding he was a new friend and licking his hand completely covering it in sloppy saliva.
Will laughed and dried of the drenched hand on his pants. "She likes you." He said happily.
The young demon only stared in quiet wonder, but he wasn't trembling anymore, so Will took it as a win. The way Nico carefully let the big dog sniff is hand again made his heart just a bit lighter.
They had fallen into a routine over the course of the next few days. Will would bring Nico breakfast and check up on his wounds, then Nico would sleep some more while Will treated other patients or worked in his garden. Around noon he would bring him lunch before Will went away for work again. Nico would not always be awake then, but the food would be gone before the evening when Will came again. He would spend the evening in the guest room with the demon just writing in his journal or practicing on his lute. Nico would quietly watch him or carefully pet Mrs. O'Leary who had taken a liking to the small demon. It was a nice routine and Will could feel the demon slowly relax more around him. That changed one night.
Will had woken up when he heard screaming from the guest room. He was out of his bed in an instant to check on Nico. The demon laid thrashing around in the bed and was clearly having a nightmare. He had reopened some of his wounds and was bleeding through the shirt he was wearing.
Will went to wake him up. "Nico." He said quietly and placed a hand on his shoulder. The demon's eyes opened immediately, and his left hand shot up, the one that still had all its sharp claws. He caught Will on his bicep and pulled down all the to the hand. Will felt a shoring pain as his flesh was torn. He gasped out in pain but managed to pull his arm away from the demon's grasp. This seemed to wake the demon completely. He blinked a couple times before taking in the scene before him. Will must have looked terrified as he clutched his bleeding arm to his chest because the demon uttered his first word since he had said his name the day he arrived here.
"Will" he whispered scared and sat up. On any other day Will would have been ecstatic but today he could only flee the room in terror. The demon called his name again, louder this time, but Will just slammed the door behind him.
Will knew he had to do something about his arm fast. His healing magic would only slow the bleeding, not stop it, so he had to sew the cuts closed. He put on a thick layer of salve that would numb his arm before finding his needle and thread. Will's hand was shaking as he began to pull the needle through his own skin. It was an uncanny experience that Will hope he would never have to repeat. The stitches were sloppy and would leave scares, but it would have to do Will thought as he passed out in his bed, still shaking from the shock.
Nico was curled into a tight ball like he had the first days. He flinched when Will opened the door and tried to make himself as small and non-threatening as possible while simultaneously hiding his head and stomach. He didn't look up when Will placed his breakfast on the nightstand next to the bed, which Will was grateful for. He didn't know what he would do, if he had to interact with Nico right now. It was clear that Nico was terrified of what he thought Will would do to him, but Will was at the moment almost as afraid of the demon as he was of him. Last night had truly shown how dangerous Nico was, even tied up and stolen of his magic as he was, and Will had no idea how to handle it. So he left the room without trying to comfort the distressed boy even if it did make his heart sting painfully.
Nico looked up carefully after he heard the door close again. Will had not reacted at all how Nico had expected. He thought that there would have been some kind of punishment for what he had done that night. He had attacked him after all… That should have been unforgivable even for one like Will, who seemed kind. He should have been angry, hateful even, but instead he seemed scared and… betrayed? Nico frowned. He had never been good at figuring out other people, and Will confused him more than anyone else had ever done. Nico's eyes found the bowl with his usual breakfast, porridge with fruits and berries, but today there was something different about it. On the top was a glistening layer of golden honey. The young demon felt his hope rise. Will wouldn't waste honey on him if he hated him… right?
Will didn't look at the demon for the next two days, and he could feel his heart growing heavier and heavier. He wanted to fix the situation, but he was too much of a coward to get near the demon. He knew logically that it had been an accident, but he still couldn't help himself. Nico seemed like he wanted to talk. He would look up now when Will walk in, like he was expecting him. Sometimes he would call Will's name and other times he would say something in the demon language abyssal, sounding frustrated. But Will would run out the door every time.
Nico was waiting for him one evening when he came with his dinner. He was standing on shaking legs, leaning on the chair in the middle of the room and Will almost drop the food in surprise. The demon was pale from exhaustion and cold sweat was forming on his forehead.
"Nico! You aren't supposed to be out of bed yet." He said talking a step towards the other boy. He stopped when his arm thumped, and he remembered his fears. But he was within reach now and Nico was quick to grab his wrist and pull him closer. Will had no choice but to follow the pull. Nico may have been weak, but Will was too captivated by the demon's sad eyes to do anything. They hadn't had eye contact standing so close before. The bruises and swelling had faded reviling a young face with sharp features. He was handsome Will thought feeling heat rise to his cheeks. He was so completely seized by the moment, that he almost suspected that Nico had somehow gotten out of the braces that stopped him from using magic and had cast a spell on him. But the braces were still on and Will was still dumbfounded. He could kill me now Will thought, and I wouldn't be able to do a single thing about it.
But the demon didn't kill him. Instead he slowly turned Will's arm around, exposing the wounded side. He looked down and touched the dressing with gentle fingers. It was a soft touched but it send shivers down Will's spine. "Sägri Will." Nico whispered looking up again. He had really pretty dark eyes Will though dumbly.
The moment was broken when Nico's legs gave up under him. Will had to drop the plate with food to catch him.
"I told you, you shouldn't be out of bed yet." He scolded lightly as he helped the demon back to bed. The demon just gave him a small smile while making sure he wasn't putting weight on Will's bad arm. The consideration made Will's heart quinch. He didn't deserve kindness from this guy he had been holding captured for days now. He may have been trying to help him, but Nico had never consented to being here. He could try to tell himself that it was for the better, but he had been doing something that went against everything he stood for. Will sighed, he had let his family's hatred of demons cloud his judgement of this person who may have acted hostile, but never once done something to hurt him on purpose. Will knew what he had to do now, he was just sorry it had taken him so long to figure out.
"I'm sorry Nico." He said sincerely as he unlocked the handcuff that had tied him to the bed. It may have been a long leash, but it was nonetheless still a leash. Will went on to remove the magic braces too. It may have been stupid, but when he has said A, he was also going to have to say B. Nico didn't seem to understand what was going on. He stared at Will, his mouth hanging open, before holding his hand up in front of himself and breathing heavily. Black tendrils crept up from his arm to his hand before rise from his palm like black smoke. Will tensed up, had he completely misread the situation? It would be a fatal mistake if he had. But Nico let the smokey shadows disappear again without doing anything.
"Ge'sagi Will. Ca deh hyrm ödenfor." He said and pointed from himself to the door.
"Do you want to leave?" Will asked feeling sad. The demon just shrugged not knowing what he had asked him. Will rose and hold out his good hand for Nico take. The younger boy eyed it suspiciously but took it carefully. Will hoisted him up and placed his arm over his shoulder to give him the support he needed to stand. They slowly wobbled out the guestroom and into the main room where Nico looked around with interest before he pointed at the door that lead outside. Will felt his heart sink thinking the demon wanted to go now. It wouldn't be smart in the condition he was in, he could die just from overexerting himself. But Will couldn't exactly tell the demon that, so he was not going to deny him his freedom. Perhaps he would see it himself when Will wasn't there to support him anymore.
Will opened his front door and let the rest of the evening sun's red-light in. The demon seemed to bask in the sunrays and let out a happy sigh. He was putting more and more of his weight on Will, but he was too enthralled with the light to notice it. However, he did notice the loud growl his stomach let out, if the redness of his cheeks was anything to go by.
"Do you want to come back inside?" Will asked carefully and pointed over his shoulder. Nico nodded still red-faced without looking at the other man. If he had he would have seen the brilliant smile that appeared on Will's face.
He guided the demon to his dinning table where he practically flopped down on one of the chairs. Will quickly filled two new bowls with the vegetable soup he had made and went to join the other man. He chatted happily away while they eat feeling more at peace than he had in weeks. It didn't bother him that Nico was demon, not anymore anyway. He had proven himself to be a good person at least while he needed help, but it was good enough for Will.
Nico also seemed to be in a better mood. He wasn't exactly smiling but he was looking around the room with curious eyes while humming absentmindedly to what Will was saying. It was the biggest room in the house and contained both the kitchen, dining table and a lounge area with some comfy chairs, a couch and a large bookshelf. Dried herps hanged all around the kitchen giving off an interesting but not unpleasant smell.
"Do you want to sleep again." Will asked when he saw the demon nodding of at the table, and pointed to the guest room. Nico nodded and Will helped him back to the guest room.
"Goodnight Nico, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Sörg wáhl Will." The small demon muttered and turned his back to him.