Well! Here it is!

So, this is the third and last chapter. It is like half the length of the others and it is supposed to be comical but . . . I'm not sure if I managed all the way there . . .

Anyways, here you have it!

I dadicate this chapter to my sister, Laura, who insisted in having Apollo into the fanfic.

So.. yeah, talk about randomness.

Hope you like it!

Chapter Three

Tying Strings

Two weeks had passed since the previous events, since Hades had surprised them in Cabin 13 and since Nico had replied an 'I like you too' to Will. Two weeks and the world was still spinning normally, which was always a good thing, and meant no god was terribly offended by them.

Things at camp had been very easy too. Unlike whatever Nico had expected and feared, nothing had happened, no-one had cared.

True to say, part of that may have been Will's fault, as he had kissed him in front of the whole camp, but . . . still . . .

The news that spread like wildfire hadn't been that two guys had kissed. Oh, no, it had been 'Will Solace kissed Nico di Angelo and we can't find his body'. And he couldn't help but find that a little ironic.

Great had been everyone's surprise when shortly after both had come out of Cabin 13, and not hysteric and fighting, but holding hands. Talk about drawing attention on them.

And then, just like that, everyone had taken it in, almost moving over the matter, not as if they were disgusted and wanted to ignore it, but as if they accepted it, decided it was fine and wanted to keep their thoughts on something else.

It had been easier to take it in than Nico ever thought would be possible.

Once the things with Hades, Will and himself had been settled down, everything had gone much better that he had ever dared to believe was possible.

Of course, having blurted out to the son of Apollo that he wanted a serious relationship with him had –obviously– included accepting his sexuality, and that had been what finally lead him into reveling himself to the others.

It was not that Will had pressured him to that. No, that was sincerely not it. Well, he technically had, kissing him in public, but other than that, Will had been very, very clear that he didn't mind if Nico wanted to keep their relationship secret for a while, and that he didn't want to force him into anything, just as long as they were together, but that didn't keep Nico from thinking that if he actually wanted such a thing to last –and he in fact did– first thing, was honesty.

So he had told them.

By them, he meant Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper and Leo, to start with, who ironically hadn't seen Will and him kissing. Hazel and Frank he hadn't seen in the camp, and since he thought it was not something that he should just Iris–Message to his sister he was planning on a fast trip to Camp Jupiter, but not just then.

Either way, it came out to be much simpler thing than he had ever thought it would be.

Upon all the fear and intrigue he had let himself feel through the latest months, once the words had left his mouth, everything had been easy.

Percy, for example. He hadn't even cared. No, wait, that made it sound harsh. He did care–care about him, but not about his sexuality. And it was only then that Nico realized how stupid and pathetic his previous musings were. Percy had sincerely seemed more interested in the who it was that he liked than in the gender.

Just like Jason had always said, Percy didn't care. He was not the kind of person to judge people based on the gender they felt attracted to, and he had said that, simply and straightforwardly. He didn't mind.

Annabeth, too. Instead of driving an hour-long speech about how homosexuality was bad and unnatural she had simply nodded in recognition, and then seemed to push the thought away, as if she had a hundred of more important things to think about.

Jason . . . Well, he already kind of knew it. He still had been a good help spelling it out for Leo, though.

Piper as well. Instead of, well, whatever he had thought she might have done, she had smiled. Like really brightly, from ear to ear. 'Knew it!' she'd said cheerfully.

And life had continued just as easily.

They were the only people whose opinion Nico actually cared about, even if it was in the least, and they were the only ones who he'd bothered to say directly.

However, it was still a nice feeling to know that no-one cared about such a thing.

Upon reading a little about gay people in Ancient Greece, Nico had discovered that homosexuality had been eyed as the most natural thing there, three thousand years aback, going as far as to find that people like Julius Cesar, Plato and Leonardo da Vinci had been homosexuals. Seeing it from that point, it made only sense that the half-bloods, the inheritors of the Ancient Greek culture, had similar thoughts on the matter.

Currently, Nico and Will were walking out of the Big House with Will holding up a box filled with medicines –same that Nico had bothered to call 'medical dynamite that might end up killing someone' and refused to carry– and Nico had one filled with different kinds of bandages and other items, walking right next to the son of Apollo.

They were heading to the infirmary, which was surely not the most romantic place on earth to be, but Will was still leader to the Apollo's cabin and had things to take care of there nevertheless.

Unlike what most campers thought, the infirmary wasn't magically provided.

It took the leader of Cabin 7 to write an inventory every two months and a list of what they were in need of, then take it to Chiron and Mr. D. to check it up and, finally, have the request sent to the Big House so that he could pick it up and storage it back in the infirmary.

Which was exactly what they were doing at the time.

Nico still somewhat expected the other campers to say something contemptuous at their backs each time Will and him were together, but it never once happened, the others simply smiled at them, pretty much as they would have to any other couple, not doing anything other than raising their hands in recognition, waving at them absentmindedly from the distance when they happened to come across them, continuing their interrupted conversations soon after, as if nothing strange had happened.

They continued to walk meanwhile talking about small things like the weather and the medicine request that they were taking –fine, Will was doing most of the talking, with Nico simply listening and nodding–, and they had almost reached the infirmary's door when something happened.

Suddenly a loud crash was heard and something hit the ground, making the whole camp shake violently.

Both of them stopped walking and turned around with startled expressions fixed upon their faces; Will's right hand had already been extended towards the doorknob, and now he just let it fall to his side.

There was the sound of refrained screams, and it was not for less, they realized as they came to look back at a golden chariot, very similar to the ones they used at camp when they had races, but this one was bigger, much bigger, almost the size of a buffalo, with two enormous golden horses that seemed made out of pure gold, worthy of the Hephaestus' cabin, or more likely, the god himself, placed in front of it, pulling it. On the back part of the chariot there was a man wearing some worn-out jeans and a yellow t-shirt. He had sparkly blue eyes, identical o those of Will or to practically any other of his siblings, if only a couple of shades darker. Blonde strands of hair hung around his eyes and a smirk that almost seemed devious was placed in his lips.

When the dust around the vehicle dispersed, the refrained surprise screams from before were raised around the campers that'd seen it falling right from the sky and in front of the infirmary, although both Nico and Will had missed it.

Still, in the exact moment they turned they both recognized it: the chariot that represented the sun in old myths, which meant the god that rode it was there too.

"Holy Olympus" Nico murmured under his breath, his eyes widening slightly with fear and confusion when he placed the golden item.

Will was just starting to open his moth to retort something when suddenly the someone from the chariot gracefully walked down from it, smiling and waving his hand at the surprised teenagers like some kind of rock star.

"It's midday at camp" he said solemnly, as if he were about to make a great discovery instead of an awful poem. "I am the sun and shine bright. Are you cool as I?" he finished, smiling brightly, as if he expected everyone around him to start applauding. Needless to say, the campers did, smiling awkwardly.

Apollo then turned serious. "Now, as for what brought me here . . ." he murmured, more to himself than to others. "William Solace!" he said, almost screaming. At first, Nico thought he was mad, but then he realized his voice didn't seem like that, it just sounded . . . loud, as if he were trying to bring everyone's attention to him.

Will bent down slowly to leave the cardboard box in the floor and then stepped forward, forcing a smile.

"Dad" he greeted, confirming –if even necessary– everyone's suspicions.

Apollo was already on him, making a fuss with his hands, hugging his son rapidly and then placing his hands on his shoulders, bending frontwards in favor of staring at Will's eyes directly, a little bit to close, since their noses were almost touching.

"I heard about it!" Apollo continued, almost screaming, oblivious to how the other campers were eyeing him curiously. "Is it true?"

For a second, Will seemed shy, almost confused, as if he didn't even know what to say, but he recovered just as fast, smiling back at Apollo, nodding.

"Yes, Fa-Father" he said, loud enough for anyone around them to listen. "He–"

"Where is he?" Apollo interrupted abruptly.

Will stepped back, freeing himself from Apollo's grip and smiled confidently back at him, discreetly pointing Nico, who seemed just about to die out of embarrassment, sending nervous glances to both Will and Apollo.

"Father" Will said in a solemn voice that seemed somewhat similar to the one in which Apollo had recited, but just like his father then, there was a smirk placed in his lips. "This is Nico di Angelo. Nico, my father, Apollo. Father, he is my–"

"Your boyfriend" Apollo cut him off, walking passed his son and towards Nico until he was in front of the boy, his face placed too close to his, in Nico's very honest opinion. With a movement of his hand he snatched the box that Nico was holding and set it gracefully on the floor, next to Will's.

Apollo eyed him intently, while Nico awkwardly shifted his weight from one foot to the other, debating whether to look at the god or to the floor, same that Apollo solved by gripping his chin and forcing him to meet his eyes.

"Son of Hades, I understand?" he said, more like stating, sending a glance to Will, who nodded.

Nico held his breath, half expecting him to look at him disapprovingly or disappointedly, but the god's face didn't hold any of that. Apollo was looking at him directly, curiously, almost as if studying him.

"He's got pretty eyes" Apollo decided, turning to look at Will and then back at Nico. Will nodded, smiling.

"Italian ascendance" he pointed out calmly, as if he was expecting his father to like that fact.

"Really, Italian?" Apollo said, eyeing the boy with even more curiosity than before. "We were in Italy once, for the Renascence" he nodded, a slightly serious look in his features until, of course, it disappeared. "Your mother's last-name came from England, y'know? We were on England too, for the Industrial Revolution." He nodded, and then his eyes sparkled. "I feel it coming again" he murmured thoughtfully, and then:

"Italy is cool.

Feel the same of Great Britain.

But not as cool as I."

He nodded, satisfied with himself, and then seemed to return to the world and remember what he had been doing.

Nico's cheeks were now vaguely tainted with red by now, but he was not sure about whether if it was out of awkwardness or shyness.

Apollo continued to study him, his eyes still shone with that naughty gleam, although there was some kind of seriousness in them, as if he thought he was taking care of something important, which he probably thought he was doing, seeing as he had just interrupted his duty as the sun god to appear at the camp.

"He's too thin" the god muttered under his breath, eyeing Will. "Doesn't this boy eat enough?" Nico looked slightly offended by the question, but only shuddered slightly, narrowing his eyes at the god, unable to retort anything to him, a shy, almost sheepish, look in his young features.

"Yes, I've told him" Will nodded. "But he–"

"And these bags . . ."Apollo continued to mutter. "Haven't you got him the Valerian pills?" he asked, turning to look at Will.

"Yes I did" the teen answered. "He just doesn't want to take them" Apollo nodded seriously and stepped back to take a better and more complete look of Nico, who was raising both arms to his chest, as if to cover himself.

Apollo inspected him, biting his lower lip. Nico shuddered slightly, drawing his eyes to the floor.

"I approve of him" he finally said, solemnly, just before every bit of seriousness disappeared from his face. Smiling brightly again, almost as a teenager, Apollo cleared his throat, almost the way someone on the stage would do to bring everyone's attention to him, same he did, only that his public were restless teenagers. And then he said it:

"Left my work alone.

Daddy Zeus will want me dead.

I am still so cool."

And just like that he turned on his heels, smiling with satisfaction and then jumping on the chariot, urging the horses, same that set off soon enough, rising to the sky rapidly, shining brightly as they walked, until the light became too much for a human eye to see and the campers had to cover their eyes.

When they could open them again, all that they could see was a tiny golden trace in the air where the horses had set foot.

Nico stood frozen in his spot, breathing heavily and utterly confused due to Apollo's sudden –and quite unplanned– apparition, his pallid features still slightly tainted with pink.

Will chuckled softly next to him, raising his right hand to Nico's shoulder after bending down to pick both boxes up.

"Well, that was strange" Nico murmured quietly. "To say the least".

"Sorry 'bout that" he murmured softly next to him while he slowly opened the door to the infirmary and dragged the son of Hades into the room. "My father can be kind of . . . random" he continued to apologize as he left both boxes over one of the tables, pushing aside a couple of notepads away and then pulled Nico into a loose hug, with no reluctance from his part.

"I was wondering where you got that" Nico managed to say shakily, still not fully recovered from the impression while he hid his face into the curve of Will's neck.

The son of Apollo smiled softly, placing his chin on Nico's dark locks, tightening his grip around his waist.

Absently, and not for the first time, the son of Hades wondered how was it possible for them to fit so perfectly in to the body of the other, like pieces of a puzzle, simply meant to be. He was pulled out of his reflections by Will's sweet voice.

"Don't worry" he said calmly. "I promise my mother isn't like that. Not that bad at least" he added thoughtfully.

For a moment, Nico's body tensed up in Will's arms, alarms going off in his brain.

Will had talked said that as if it were something natural, as if they had accorded it. Meeting Will's mother would mean they were into something serious. Not that he didn't think that they were not into a serious relationship it was just that . . . He felt the familiar tugging of nervousness in his chest, as breathing became something harder.

This was he had so carefully avoided for so long, with not staying too long at the camp, at any of them, with not getting too attached to anyone, with not trusting anyone. Tying strings. That was what he'd been avoiding for such a long time. Tying strings between him and anyone, or anything, for the matter.

Tying strings.

And still . . . if he really stopped to think about it . . . he didn't really feel scared this time, just confused, just nervous. He didn't feel scared when it came to Will. Somehow that he still failed to explain he couldn't feel his throat closing at the thought of trusting Will, at the thought of tying strings with him.

What he did feel was stupid. Here he was, worrying about nothing and killing himself with thoughts that made no sense at all. What did he have to fear? Hadn't the son of Apollo proved himself to him enough?

He trusted Will, and he was positive about that. His problem had been trusting others, and if he trusted Will already . . . Could it mean that he had already started doing what he'd feared for so long, without him even noticing?

His body slowly relaxed against Will's burying his face even deeper into his neck.

"You're blushing" Will pointed out teasingly, his sweet voice easing all the remnant tension in the younger's body. How could he distrust him? How could he?

"I'm not!" he retorted with the stubbornness of a child, but hid his face against Will's chest nevertheless.

"Yes you are" Will hummed sweetly, Nico groaned in response. "C'mon you look so cute when you blush!"

Nico groaned, yet again. "I'm the Ghost King here, I'm not supposed to look cute to you!" he muttered, his voice muffled by Will's tanned skin.

"Yeah" Will nodded slowly. "But you said it, 'supposed', it doesn't mean an impossible. And besides, you are my Ghost King and you look cute to me" he said, his voice holding the tone of someone that is pointing out the obvious.

There it was again, Nico thought. Tying strings. Will was mentioning, making allusion to it again. Tying strings between both of them. And yet, this time, unlike the previous, he didn't feel sacred by it.

Even if he couldn't see him, Will smiled fondly at him, pleased by how such simple things as taking the bimonthly medical order to the infirmary would suddenly become something memorable, as long as Nico was with him. Yeah, he was already pushing aside the fact that his father had randomly decided to appear at the camp because, right then, it didn't even seem important.

Still trying to hide his blushing, and with a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, Nico nodded against Will's chest, encircling his waist, unconsciously pulling the older boy closer to him.

Maybe, and just maybe, he thought, the time had come for him to start tying strings.

I'm not sure about how did that go . . . Like I feel I'm missing something into it but I don't really know what it is...

Please tell me what you think with a comment!