Light to the Darkness. PG-13, Will/Nico, romance/fluff, post-BoO/pre-ToA (ToN spoilers!).
"Wait, wait— did you just... did you just say you glow?"

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Nico made his way around camp that afternoon looking for his vanished boyfriend. He had just wrapped up a sword-fighting lesson with the littlest campers after lunch, and while he was finding that he enjoyed teaching (and being around kids) more than he ever thought he would, it was also very trying to hold the attention of a bunch of ADHD elementary-aged children with magical powers for an hour while also making sure no limbs got chopped off.

He would never admit this out loud, but teaching the kiddie classes actually made him feel bad for Percy: if Nico himself had been even a fraction as annoying as these little twerps were back when they first met, then Percy had to have had the patience of a saint to put up with him for more than a minute. Of course, Percy had never had to deal with Harley, who insisted any weapon that landed in his hands— including swords!— would be better if modified to include a laser sight, a harpoon gun, and perhaps a grenade launcher or two. On a sword. The absolute nerve.

So normally when he was done with such a lesson, his immediate instinct was to seek out his boyfriend, as his mere presence nearby usually made Nico feel more relaxed. Just out of common sense, the first place one would go to in search of one William Andrew Solace would be the infirmary. However, when Nico stopped by, Kayla informed him that Will did not have a shift scheduled that afternoon, so Nico set out to look for him elsewhere.

Will wasn't in or anywhere near the Big House, and the Apollo cabin was empty. He made his way past the other cabins just in case, even peeking into his own just in case Will was waiting for him there, but no such luck. He wasn't at the dining pavilion or the amphitheater; likewise at the beach or the lake. Nico even tried the lava wall— sometimes Will was called there if anyone got hurt, but Nico hadn't heard of any incidents happening that day, and when he snuck a peek, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary, just a couple of campers braving the wall, with Will nowhere to be seen.

Eventually he found him at the archery range, and Nico paused a few yards away from him, taking in the view. Will was wearing a fitted Camp Jupiter hoodie that had been one of his go-to's over the last month or so; it wasn't even that chilly for early November, and the camp's magical barrier kept the harshest edges of the weather out, but Will was a bit of a wimp when it came to the cold. You know how most people over, say, ten years of age would probably agree that fall was their favorite season? Well, Will was a summer child, through and through. This would have been true, Nico thought, even if he wasn't a son of Apollo. It was just a part of who he was.

Nico personally loved the hoodie, however, because the deep-purple color contrasted beautifully with the golden tones in Will's hair and skin, and made his eyes stand out brilliantly. He had the sleeves pulled up to his elbows so they wouldn't get in the way of his grip, and his shoulders squared perfectly as he pulled back the bowstring and aimed.

Nico wasn't just standing there to ogle his boyfriend, though, no matter how pleasant that aspect of it was. He also knew better than to distract an archer when they were about to shoot, plus it gave him time to wonder what could possibly be troubling Will. He only practiced archery by himself when something was bothering him, Nico had come to learn, as focusing on the motions of nocking and aiming kept him from overthinking about whatever his current problem was. Nico could only try to guess from a distance.

Will took his time aiming, then breathed in deeply, letting the air out slowly as if to center himself. Then he let go of the string, and his arrow flew true across the field, ending up embedded in the inner edge of the 8 ring with a thunk.

"Nice shot," Nico called out, and he meant it. Will liked to whine that he was "bad" at archery, but in reality he was a more than decent shot in a non-combat situation. He'd been diligently practicing for years and was leaps and bounds better at it than other demigods like Nico could ever hope to be. The only reason he thought he was mediocre at it was because he couldn't help but compare himself to his siblings, most of whom had received archery blessings from their father.

Will turned to look at him as Nico made his way closer. He smiled at Nico, though it wasn't quite as bright as Will's smiles normally tended to be. "Hey," he greeted him. "How did the lesson with the kiddos go?"

"Well, you'll be glad to know I managed not to kill any of them," Nico retorted in a dry tone.

Will chuckled, putting his bow down in the frame available for it nearby. "You like them."

Nico shook his head. "Get back to me on that the next time Harley asks to turn my Stygian iron sword into one of those light-space things."

Will narrowed his eyes at him. "Lightsaber," he corrected, though Nico knew what it was called. He might not have seen Star Wars, but he'd heard Will talk about it enough since they started hanging out after the war that he had picked up on some of the terminologies. He just liked teasing his boyfriend. "You're killing me here, Methuselah," Will groaned.

"Sorry," Nico said, though he wasn't really sorry at all. There'd be time to poke fun at him later, though. "You okay?" he asked instead as Will tugged at the sleeves of his hoodie so they would cover the entire length of his arms now that he was done with the bow. Wimp, Nico thought affectionately as he followed Will down the length of the range so he could pull his arrow from the target.

Will frowned a bit as if thinking of what to say. Then he sighed, probably figuring that there was no point in pretending nothing was wrong. "I'm okay, just... thinking, I guess." Nico was glad he'd admitted that. Their relationship was still fairly new, but they'd been having a lot of deep conversations over the past few months, and they were trying to be as open as they could with each other. Nico obviously had the most trouble with that, but even Will had some things that he found difficult to share. He never pressured Nico to tell him things he wasn't ready to talk about, though, so Nico tried to do the same to him.

That's not to say he wasn't willing to listen whenever Will needed him to. "About your father?" he offered, knowing that was one of the few issues that could be weighing on his boyfriend in between infirmary shifts.

Will nodded, but then shook his head. "Yeah, but it's more... everything, I think." He pulled the arrow out before elaborating on that. "I just don't like not knowing what's going on, really. It feels weird. Normally when something big is coming, we have at least a prophecy to give us an idea of how to deal with it. We might not always understand what it actually means, but at least we have something to work off of. Now we don't even have that, and it's really unsettling." He bit his lip lightly. "What if there's nothing we can do, and Apollo just... disappears forever? It's not like he's ever been father of the year, but still..."

Nico could relate to that. His own relationship with his father was awkward at best and outright contentious at worst, but he would still rather have Hades in his corner than not. He couldn't imagine knowing that something was wrong in the Underworld but being unable to do anything about it. Maybe even losing some of his child-of-Hades powers. No wonder the Apollo kids were on edge.

"Rachel said when she comes back to camp for the holidays you'd try to come up with a game plan, though," Nico pointed out, eager to find some kind of silver lining. He didn't like seeing Will sad; it felt unnatural.

Will shrugged. "Yeah, but now Iris messages aren't working so we don't even know if that's still on," he decried, pressing his lips together in disappointment. He seemed really upset for a second before his shoulders dropped as if in defeat. "I guess I just... wish I could do something, you know? Go out there and look for answers like you do. But if I try, I would only be a burden to whoever is with me."

It was Nico's turn to groan. "Solace, is this about your powers again?" he asked with a glare. Truth be told, he wasn't really mad at Will for bringing up his lack of offensive powers once more. He didn't do it that often, all things considered. It was just frustrating when he did because Nico couldn't quite think of what to say to make him feel better about it, and that sucked. "Seriously, you've got to stop putting yourself down about this. You're the best healer at camp. You are literally the opposite of a burden."

Will shook his head emphatically. "Not on a quest, though. Not until it's all gone sideways."

Nico wasn't having it. "Will, look at me." The blond boy somewhat reluctantly met his gaze, and Nico made sure to hold it so Will could see he was one hundred percent serious as he said this. "I've seen you put together people's bones that were split clean in half like they're made out of clay. I have literally seen you pull people from the brink of death. You saved me. I probably wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for you. Your healing abilities are incredibly important."

Will looked for a heartbeat like he was going to disagree, but then his countenance softened. "You're right," he conceded. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just in a mood today."

He looked so much like a sad puppy that Nico immediately felt bad for being too forceful. "No, hey," he said softly, reaching out for Will's hand. His boyfriend complied easily, entwining his fingers with Nico's. They weren't much the type for PDA, and Nico wasn't the most touchy-feely person in the world, but he'd come to learn that a physical gesture here and there could really help the soul. And it's not like they had an audience, anyway. "It's totally normal to feel that way every once in a while. It's just... a bit weird, I guess, since usually I'm the moody one and you're the one trying to cheer me up."

Will's lips quirked at the corners of his mouth. "That's true." The smile faded a little when he sighed. "It's silly, I know. I just... sometimes I wish I could be more like you, you know? That I could have one thing that only I could do, one thing that everybody knew was my thing. Practically all your powers are like that. That's what makes you so cool."

Nico rolled his eyes. "You have to say that because you're my boyfriend."

Will chuckled. "Nuh-uh. The kids love you, you know that." And, yeah, okay, maybe he had to give him that one. The kids were pretty enthusiastic about his powers, even those that grossed them out. A couple of weeks ago one of the Hermes boys asked him to reanimate a skeleton from the ground, and it made one of the Iris girls run for the hills. Literally. The kid was halfway to Half-Blood Hill before the others pointed out that the skeleton Nico had reanimated was that of a cute, tiny kitten. The next thing he knew, all the kids were playing with the thing, and Nico was officially the coolest instructor at camp. Take that, Percy Jackson.

Will continued the point he was trying to make before. "Don't get me wrong: I love healing. It's what I'm meant to do. I just... wish I had other things to offer, as well, so I could do more and wouldn't have to just sit here and wait for news to come to me." He shrugged. "I guess it's different for us children of Apollo. There's so many of us; it's harder for our powers to be original. But at least my siblings get more, I dunno, versatile powers? Kayla can make that shot with her eyes closed," he added, gesturing toward the target he'd just cleared, "but she can also heal. Austin can master any battle instrument he gets his hands on in under an hour, but he can also take out monsters in a pinch with a bow and arrow. Me? All I've got is healing, and any one of my siblings can do that as well."

"But you're the best at it," Nico correctly pointed out. He never ceased to be amazed whenever he saw Will use his healing powers. It truly was a miraculous sight. And even when he didn't, even when he was just doing regular mortal medical care, first aid, that kind of stuff, it was still super impressive. Will was just fifteen, and mostly self-trained (with a little help from Chiron here and there), but he had nothing to envy a fully educated EMT. He was going to make an incredible doctor, provided they lived long enough for him to go to college. Life was tough for a demigod these days.

"Yeah, but it's still not something that's just mine," Will said. He ran the hand that wasn't holding Nico's through his blond curls. "It wouldn't sting as much if I at least had other useful abilities. Apart from healing, though, all I get are all the useless Apollo powers," he finished, almost in a grumble.

As adorable as he looked when he was pouting, it was Will's words that made Nico perk up. "Like what?" he asked. Statistically speaking, he knew it would be rare for Will to only have inherited his healing abilities from his godly parent, but Will's complaints usually had more to do with his lack of divine abilities, so Nico had just sort of assumed he'd drawn the short straw in the demigod powers lottery. Now he's learning that he's got more Apollo abilities Nico hadn't heard of?

Will groaned. "It doesn't matter. It's not like any of them would be useful in battle, anyway." Nico insisted, though, curiosity brimming in him, so Will let go of his hand and started enumerating these so-called "useless" abilities. "Well, I can curse people to speak in rhyming couplets, as you know." Nico did know that one. It had made the last few months at camp very entertaining— and Nico infinitely glad that the Apollo cabin was usually on his side rather than against him. "That one's more Apollo than me, though. You've also experienced my ultrasonic whistle," he added, adding a second finger to the count.

"I contend that your whistle is actually very useful in battle," Nico declared, crossing his arms and giving Will a look as if to suggest he was exaggerating.

His boyfriend didn't seem entirely convinced. "Yeah, but it's not very specific. It could hurt my allies just as easily if they're not careful, and that's a big risk." He shook his head as if dismissing that objection. "Anyway, I can also tell you the exact time of day without looking at a watch or a clock, just from the position of the sun in the sky," he added, counting a third finger.

Nico's brow lifted. That one he definitely hadn't heard of before. "Really?"

Will nodded. "Yup. Like right now..." He looked up at the sun, already low near the horizon on that fall afternoon. "...I can tell you that it's exactly 3:13 pm, with forty-two seconds. Forty-three." Nico did not have a watch on him, so he had no idea if that was right, but Will seemed confident enough about it. "It's harder to tell at night, but I can still sorta guesstimate it," Will added. Nico privately thought that could be a useful ability to have while on the road, especially when you were on your own— or surrounded by ghosts, as it were— and the days started blurring into each other. That was never a good feeling.

He didn't say that out loud, though, and Will kept going, now somewhat more animated than before. "I can tell you the title and artist of any song I've heard at least once from just the first second or so of melody or vocals." He smirked and wiggled a finger at Nico. "That was always my mom's favorite." Nico chuckled. "Then there's the glowing, and— ooh, I can tell when people are lying!"

Nico— justifiably, he thought— was not buying that one. "No, you can't," he retorted dryly, an eyebrow arched high in skepticism.

"...No, I can't," Will admitted sheepishly. "It was worth a try, though!"

Nico shook his head and rolled his eyes at his boyfriend's silliness, but again, it was an affectionate gesture. "You're a dork." He was still snickering about it when his brain finally processed something else Will had just said really quickly. "Wait, wait— did you just... did you just say you glow?"

Will stiffened for a moment, then he groaned like he was in pain. "I was hoping you had missed that one," he whined.

"Oh my gods," Nico said, lightly slapping Will's bicep in a very uncharacteristic display of excitement. He couldn't help the grin that overtook his face, either— this was just too good. "Oh my gods. Will, I must see this."

Will somehow managed to grimace and blush at the same time. "What? No way! No, it's super embarrassing." He took a step away from Nico, maybe so that he wouldn't be hit again, though Nico wasn't actually planning on it. "Besides, what's the point? The only way an ability like that could be useful is if someday I end up stuck in, like, a cave or something."

Nico gave him an incredulous look. "You're kidding me, right? Solace, have you met me?" He pointed to himself with both hands. "Son of Hades? Hades, the god of the Underworld?" He gestured toward the ground at his feet instead, moving his hands in circles as if to illustrate how vast his father's territory was.

Will looked at him in confusion for a few seconds, and then Nico pinpointed exactly the moment when the meaning of his words dawned on him. "The tasks you do for your father or for camp usually take you underground," he stated carefully.

"Yes," Nico confirmed, silently urging Will with his expression to keep connecting the dots. His assertion was an understatement, really. At the moment he could say with 100% certainty that he had spent more time in underground caverns and other similarly dark locations than he ever had at camp. And that was saying a lot because he'd been at camp for months at this point.

His boyfriend, smart boy that he was, eventually got his meaning. "I could go with you in your missions," he said, his voice tinged with wonder, like a young child who had just realized he could afford the Mythomagic expansion pack for which he'd been saving his allowance for months.

"Yes," Nico confirmed again, matching the energy in his tone.

"And I could actually be helpful!" Will finally concluded, his hopeful expression giving way to a brilliant grin, one that Nico had been seeking from the beginning of their conversation— the kind that he liked to complain made him want to reach for sunglasses, but secretly really loved.

"Yes," he said, reciprocating his enthusiasm with a smile of his own. "See? And you think your powers are useless." He shook his head with a scoff. "This could actually help me a lot. You've gotta show me how this glowing thing works, Solace."

Will still seemed to be a little reluctant— probably because he thought it was embarrassing— but eventually relented. The promise of being able to accompany Nico on missions as he had wanted from day one was too good of a lure. "Okay. But it has to be after sundown, otherwise you can't really tell that something's happening," he suggested. Then he added, "And can we do it at your cabin? That way other people won't be able to, y'know, see me."

As amusing— and, admittedly, adorable— as Nico found this whole "Will can glow" thing, he also didn't want to make his boyfriend uncomfortable, so he was willing to accommodate him however he needed. "Sure. After dinner, then?" Will nodded. "All right. It's a date." Will gave him a grateful smile and leaned in to kiss his cheek before they went their separate ways again, camp activities demanding their respective presences at different locations.

Later that night, they made their way to Nico's cabin straight after dinner, hoping they could do this before lights out so they didn't have to deal with the harpies. Technically speaking, they weren't allowed to be alone in an otherwise empty cabin, but Chiron had been known to turn a blind eye every once in a while in their case, given how stressful Will's job and Nico's, well, life could be. Sometimes emotional support was necessary and Chiron didn't want to get in the way of a bond that could be beneficial to both their mental healths. As long as they behaved appropriately, that is. Which they did. (Mostly.)

They made sure to close the door behind them, Nico taking care to close the curtains so no one from another cabin could peek in. The wall sconces were still on, though thankfully no longer green as they once were— Nico had asked for them to be changed on Will's recommendation because reading under green light was terrible for his eyesight, apparently. The fire in the hearth was still green, however— that was just a Hades thing— and the obsidian walls seemed to suck in the light, so while the place was decently illuminated, it was still a shade... let's say "cozier" than the rest of the cabins.

Will sat down on Nico's bed— thankfully no longer coffin-shaped but rather a simple, dark four-poster nestled between two windows, an identical one pushed against the opposite wall for Hazel when she visited— and Nico looked at him for a moment before sitting down beside him. He still seemed apprehensive. "You don't have to show me if you don't want to," Nico reminded him, giving him an out if he wanted to take it.

Will shook his head. "No, it's fine. I've already told you about it, so I might as well just show you." He sighed, apparently deciding to just get on with it. "Just promise me you won't laugh."

Nico rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to laugh." As if he'd do something so cruel when Will was clearly sensitive about this.

Satisfied, Will moved to take off his hoodie, laying it down on the bed behind them. Underneath, he was wearing a baseball-style t-shirt with the logo "Threadgill's - Austin, Texas" in the front. Will didn't often wear black and white— that was more Nico's aesthetic— but this was one t-shirt Nico knew he loved because his mother had bought it at her favorite venue to perform at in Austin. Plus, the three-quarter sleeves kept his arms warm in chilly weather. Once again: wimp.

Nico didn't realize he was staring until Will moved to also take off his t-shirt and Nico found himself scooching back so abruptly that his back smacked against the corner post of his bed. "What are you doing?!" he asked. It's not that he would be opposed to seeing his boyfriend shirtless— on the contrary, really— but that wasn't something Will could just spring on him like this. He wasn't anywhere near mentally prepared!

Will paused, shirt still on so that only a sliver of skin was visible above the waistband of his jeans. "Oh, um, the glow comes from my skin? My face and hands aren't enough for it to be noticeable, though." He gave Nico a sheepish look. "Sorry, I should've mentioned that before."

"It's fine," Nico said, relaxing a little. There was a perfectly good reason for Will to be shirtless. In his cabin. On his bed. It wasn't that Nico had a problem with this or anything, but, again, their relationship was still fairly new. They hadn't done much more beyond kissing, so he wasn't quite used to this level of intimacy with... anyone. That said, this was all for educational purposes, after all. For science? Or, uh, magic, as it were. Whatever. Nico could handle this without his delicate 1930s sensibilities getting the better of him, right?

"Could you turn off the lights?" Will asked without moving a muscle. "It's more visible the darker it is in here." Maybe he could see that Nico needed a second to... process. That realization only caused Nico's cheeks to heat up even more.

Nico nodded, waving a hand at the wall sconces, which caused the fire to go out. The flame in the fireplace also went down, though it didn't go out completely; it was a sacred Hades flame, after all. The residual illumination from the hearth, combined with the weak tendrils of moonlight creeping in from behind the edges of the closed curtains, was just enough that Nico, who had fairly good night vision (it was a child-of-Hades thing), could just make out the outlines of Will's form, but not make out any details.

He heard Will take a deep breath. "Okay. This might take a few seconds— I can't exactly flick it on like a switch just yet." Nico nodded, then belatedly realized that Will probably couldn't see it, so he confirmed his understanding out loud. Will let out a breath in a deep sigh, a bit like the Aphrodite and Demeter girls would do when they had their yoga sessions, and Nico wondered if he was nervous or if relaxation was necessary for this glow thing to work.

For a heartbeat or two, it seemed like nothing was happening. And then, slowly but surely, he was able to see Will more and more clearly: the texture of his hair, his tanned skin, the delicate lines of his features, the sparkle in his sky-blue eyes. It was as if the sun itself was shining from inside him, from his very soul, and it was...

...it was beautiful. He was beautiful. Not that he wasn't always, but somehow this soft, ethereal, golden radiance made Will look like he'd been manifested right out of Nico's dreams. Like he was finally seeing his boyfriend the way he was meant to be seen.

(The fact that he was shirtless probably had a lot to do with that, too.)

Nico stood up from the bed and stood a few paces away, almost feeling like he had to examine this marvelous visage from all different angles and perspectives like art connoisseurs sometimes did with famous paintings. Will squirmed a little, clearly feeling awkward about the way Nico was staring at him completely agog. "Can you say something, please?" he asked. His fidgeting reminded Nico that he had promised not to laugh. It was almost funny because laughter was the last thing in Nico's mind at the moment— on the contrary, his mouth had gone dry. At that point, formulating coherent sentences seemed more of a challenge than holding back laughter.

"Will, this is..." His boyfriend looked back at him, his expression both expectant and wary at the same time. "...amazing."

Will perked up as if he hadn't been expecting that reaction. "Really? You think so?"

Nico nodded, moving a little closer to him. The golden luminescence made the freckles on his face and shoulders stand out, as well as the tattoo in the shape of a sun on his chest, which Nico had heard of but had never seen.

It had come up in conversation between the two of them one day in late summer when they were hanging out at the beach, before they had even started dating. Nico had teased him about a sun tattoo being overkill; considering that even on an off day Will looked like someone who could appear on the cover of a surfing magazine, there was no way anyone would recognize him as anything but a child of Apollo. But Will had corrected him gently: while he was proud to be a son of Apollo, regardless of his attachment to his father as an individual (every demigod had, at best, complicated feelings for their godly parent, understandably), he didn't get the tattoo for that reason.

Instead, he got it to honor and remember the siblings he'd lost in wars past, and to represent his commitment to the siblings he now had to look after, lead and protect. For Will, family was more than just being engendered by the same parent. No; for Will, family was fighting together, being there for each other in the good and bad moments, supporting each other, having fun together, teaching each other about life. That was what cabin seven, what being a child of Apollo meant to him.

Nico didn't have that. Not really— not in the way Will did. But he understood those feelings very well, and looking at Will now, shining with the inner light Nico always knew he had even if it never occurred to him that it could be literal, he felt a wave of affection for his boyfriend rush through him. He lifted a hand, unable to fight the urge to run the tips of his fingers over the stylized mark. Will let him, and Nico's touch grazed his skin delicately, the brightness making his pale hand look almost pearly white in contrast. He was also warm.

"You don't think it's silly?" Will asked, clearly still feeling a bit insecure.

"I think it's great," Nico responded sincerely. And then, because he couldn't help himself, "I reserve the right to call you 'Sunshine' from now on, though."

Will mock-glared at him. "Oh, haha." He tried to make it seem like he was insulted, but he hardly had a leg to stand on, really, considering he was the one who started it with the nicknames, back in the aftermath of the Second Giant War.

The glow flickered out abruptly, leaving them mostly in shadow again, and Nico found himself pouting. "Hey! I was enjoying the view," he complained before he could stop himself, much to his embarrassment. Oh well. At least Will couldn't see him blush anymore.

Will laughed. "You were, huh?" He reached for Nico's waist, pulling him closer until he was standing between his legs. Since Will was sitting down on the bed, Nico actually stood slightly taller than him, allowing him to comfortably wrap his arms around his boyfriend's (very, very nice) shoulders. "You really think this can be helpful?" he asked about his bioluminescence power.

"Yeah," Nico assured him, and he truly meant it. He knew Will's strongest motivation in life was to help as many people as he could, and he knew how much he worried about the people he cared about putting themselves in unnecessary risk and possibly getting hurt when he couldn't be there to help them. Nico especially, since he was still testing the limits of his Underworld powers. So as annoying as Nico sometimes found the nagging and the constant inquiring about his health— and oh, did he ever— he understood Will only did that because he cared so much. And he knew how much it would mean to Will to actually be there by his side, being helpful in ways other than just healing people when they got hurt... when even his healing powers might not be enough.

Will wanted more than anything to protect the people he loved, and Nico wanted him to have that. And to be honest, Nico would rather have him by his side, too. Not just because of his powers, but even just for the company. Gods knew he'd been alone for far too long. Since the end of the war, he was coming to learn that he didn't have to be alone anymore, and Will had been a big part of that.

"Hey, Will," he said, absentmindedly running a hand through his boyfriend's hair, "I think this is it, this is what you wanted. You know, the one thing that only you can do."

Will snorted. "What, lighting up like a Glo Worm?"

"No," Nico retorted pointedly, though in reality he had no idea what a Glo Worm even was. He bit his lip momentarily, debating how best to put it into words. When he spoke again, his voice was soft, quiet. "You bring light to the darkness," is what he settled on, leaning his forehead against Will's. "That's your thing." He hoped Will understood that he meant more than just his glowing ability: he meant all of him.

He thought Will probably did understand his meaning because he heard his breath catch. "Nico..." he whispered, lifting a hand from where it rested at his waist to cradle the side of Nico's face. There was a bit of a shuffle as they tried to align their faces just right in the darkness, but then Will was kissing him, and Nico leaned into it enthusiastically, quite enjoying the vantage point their current position gave him.

Kissing was one of the things Nico had needed some time to get to, given his old-fashioned/conservative upbringing and how much he struggled with his sexuality, but once he worked up the nerve, it became one of his favorite activities. It was rare that they got the chance to get as involved with it as they were now, though, so this felt different. (The fact that his boyfriend was still shirtless probably had a lot to do with that, too.)

Will pulled back so he could drop a trail of kisses down his neck, and Nico sighed in satisfaction, opening his eyes just slightly as if to catch a glimpse of Will in the low light. And then he couldn't help but let out a giggle. "Solace?" Will mumbled his acknowledgment, more preoccupied with nuzzling at Nico's throat. "You're glowing again."

Will froze, and then, with a frustrated huff, he buried his head against Nico's shoulder, as if hiding in shame. "I'm never going to live this down, am I?" he mumbled, his voice muffled by the fabric of Nico's t-shirt.

"Nope," Nico replied, chortling in amusement. Okay, so maybe the glowing thing was a little funny— but not in a bad way! "If it makes you feel any better, though, I really do think it's cool," he added, pressing a kiss to the side of Will's head.

He couldn't see Will's face but Nico could swear he heard the pout. "You have to say that because you're my boyfriend," he threw back Nico's words from earlier, which only made Nico laugh even more. Will pulled back and regarded him with a soft smile, which Nico found every bit as beautiful as the golden glow currently emanating from his skin.

"Hey," Will said, lightly caressing Nico's sides where his hands rested at his waist. He waited patiently for Nico's giggles to subside before tilting his head up to sweetly peck his boyfriend's lips again. "Thank you."

Nico threw his arms around Will's shoulders, hugging him tightly as he spoke directly into his ear. "You're welcome, Sunshine."

Nico turned the lights back on while Will (regrettably) put his clothes back on, and in the little bit of time they had before Will absolutely had to go back to his cabin, they chatted about what they could do for information re: whatever may or may not be happening with Apollo, which jobs Nico still had pending for his father and assorted Underworld inhabitants, and also which places they could sneak off to together, just for fun. (As long as Nico could safely shadow-travel them there in a few jumps without jeopardizing his health, that was.) If Will was allowed to leave camp without a prophecy to support Nico on missions, their options were pretty much limitless, and they were both really excited.

Nico's favorite part of it was that Will was smiling the entire time.

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Author's notes!—

I just want to note that I used the word "boyfriend" 20 times in a 6K-word story because that is what The Book of Will— *coughcough* I mean The Tower of Nero has done to me.

In target archery, the target consists of ten concentric circles (the tenth one actually is divided into an inner and an outer section) that are scored from one at the outermost to ten at the innermost, meaning Will's shot here earned him eight points out of ten. Star Wars (and if you don't know this, where have you been living for the past 40 years?) is one of the largest multimedia sci-fi/fantasy franchises in history, created by George Lucas in 1977, and currently being shepherded by Disney. Methuselah is a biblical figure known for his longevity, as according to Judeo-Christian and Islamic tradition, he lived for 969 years.

Threadgill's is a restaurant and live-music venue in Austin that's been an institution in town since the 1930s, hosting many renowned musical acts over the years including Janis Joplin; as of April 2020, it was closed permanently because of the COVID-19 crisis. And yes, you can still actually purchase Will's t-shirt via their online store. The Glo Worm is a 1982 plush toy from Playskool whose head would light up when you squeezed or hugged its body; I owned at least three different versions of it when I was a kid, which is how you can have an idea of how old I am, lol.

Will's list of "useless" Apollo powers has been a headcanon of mine since The Blood of Olympus, and as far as I know has little basis in canon, but for the record, I think they're all awesome. Will basically being a human Shazam app? Hell yeah. PS: Rick, if you just happen to be reading this and would like to write some kind of ToN continuation or side story featuring Will where he has any or all of these powers, I'm game. ;) Have your people talk to my people (aka me. It's literally just me).

If anyone's interested in hearing some (or a lot) of my thoughts regarding Tower of Nero, I uploaded a (very, very long) review of the book to my vlog, which you can find at my website Freaking Narnia dot com. It's basically me mostly squealing about Will and Will/Nico for like an hour straight, so be sure to check it out if you have the time.

Before you do that, though, please leave a comment to tell me how you liked this story! This was meant to be a sweet little one-shot showing how Nico found out about Will's glowing ability and incorporating some ideas inspired by ToN, but somehow it ended up being just me thirsting over Will through Nico's eyes for six thousand words. But can I be blamed, really? The boy is a walking thirst trap. A walking, glowing thirst trap, at that. I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not. xD