Chapter 6:

Will Uses a Sweater for Evil

Nico's ass was definitely at sword training, Will noted. The Hades boy had a fine booty, but it was nothing compared to his chest. Will silently both thanked and dammed the hot sun for making Nico take his shirt off.

Will watched in absolute awe as Nico deftly cut down every dummy he came up against. The Hephaestus cabin had mechanicalised them, so they actually fought back and didn't just stand there waiting to get sliced up. It was Nico against about twenty, and he was slashing them down one by one, not getting hit. Will supposed that you didn't just go to Camp Half-Blood and not excel at some kind of weapon. He himself was pretty handy with a bow and arrow, and from long afternoons spent trailing behind Nico, Will knew he was good with archery too.

When training was finished, Will was heading for the stands where Nico was taking a drink with the intention of talking to him about that night's game of Capture the Flag. It was a Saturday night tradition, and cabins made pacts with each other to fight on the same team. Every second week they had a game where they were allowed real weapons. In those games, they weren't allowed to take prisoners or bind people. But in the no-weapons one it was free-for-all. The only way to win was either through hand-to-hand, or kidnapping the entire opposing team.

Will was rudely shoved from his musings of Nico being carried away by some evil shadowy people and yelling for Will to save him by the sight of Conner and Travis Stoll talking to Nico. Frowning, Will sped up, just in time to catch their conversation.

"…Percy said you might be on our team for Capture the Flag tonight," Conner was saying.

"So we wanted to know if you were," Travis finished. Nico tugged his black shirt back on over his head before answering.

"Yeah," he replied. "Percy already traded training slots with me so I'd join the blue team. I'm playing with you guys tonight."

Conner and Travis high-fived before they ran off. Will approached Nico, his insides melting. Nico had already promised he'd play on Percy's team. This day was taking a downhill ride. Will knew for certain that Apollo and Hermes were on opposite teams tonight.

"Hi," he greeted. Nico swung around, and his face instantly flushed.

"Uh, hi, Will," Nico replied unsteadily, his eyes flicking to the tanned, toned chest that was on full display because, oh dear, Will had taken his sweater off. No matter how much he loved the thing, it was too hot to fight in easily.

"So, you're on blue tonight," Will said uneasily. Nico nodded, turning his head away and continuing to pack his training bag.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "I traded sword training slots with Percy this morning in exchange for going blue."

"Then I guess we're on opposite sides," Will said. Nico looked up at him.

"Oh," he said slowly. "Yeah." He shook his head and went back to zipping up his bag. "I forgot Apollo had done the challenging this week."

"My cabin needed closure," Will argued, a small smile on his face. He'd challenged the Hermes cabin at dinner a few nights ago to this weeks' Capture the Flag on account of their latest prank turning one of his siblings hair bright green.

"Yes, the green-dye-in-the-shower-head thing," Nico hummed, shouldering his bag. "I was surprised Austin's whole body wasn't green."

"Me too," Will agreed, stepping into stride with the other boy. They seemed to be walking over to where his things were.

"I guess it was only hair-dye though," Nico mused as Will bent down to quickly pack his own bag and put the sweater back on.

"You're still wearing my sweater," Nico noticed as Will stood back up. Will blushed and rubbed his cheeks sheepishly.

"Yeah," he said. "It was all I had." He picked at the front of it. "Do you want it back?"

"No," Nico said hurriedly. "You can keep it. It's far too big for me, anyway."

"You're just saying that because it's sweaty now," Will teased. Nico held his hands up.

"No, I didn't mean it like that!" he objected. "I just don't mind you having it, is all."

"Mmhm," Will hummed, smirking. He pulled the bottom of the humongous sweater out and deftly yanked it down over Nico's head. Nico squawked as he tried to get out. Will felt tingles of cold shudder down his spine as Nico's hair brushed against his stomach.

Suddenly a nest of ruffled black locks popped out of the neck hole next to Will. The Apollo kid looked down in surprise, before he laughed.

Nico had used the massiveness of the sweater to his advantage, and in consequence, he was little more than an inch from Will's face. His cheeks were bright pink as he stuttered.

"N-Not cool, Solace!" he cried, trying to drop his bag off his shoulder so he could use his arms to pull himself out. Will was too busy giggling at how cute Nico looked – a pale little face in a sea of black sweater cloth.

"Sorry, sorry," Will said as he calmed down. He reached around to find the bottom of the sweater. The hem was resting just against Nico's back, and Will wasn't sure if he imagined the little shiver the other boy got when his fingers touched the skin under his shirt.

Will managed to find the edge of the sweater and pull it off Nico. He was grinning the whole way. It was worth it all to be in such close proximity to his crush. Nico looked embarrassed and rumpled, his hair sticking up each and every way.

"That was evil use of a sweater," he grumbled, shrugging his bag on his shoulder and pouting at Will. Will grabbed his own stuff and they started walking out.

"Nah, you liked it," Will joked, waving his hand in the air. Nico glared at him and Will put his hands in the air, surrendering, a huge smile still on his face. They kept walking and the conversation started up again. Somehow they got onto the subject of whether showering before Capture the Flag was worth it since they'd just get all sweaty again anyway. It took Will a long time to notice that they'd passed the Apollo cabin and were coming up to Hades. Nico stepped onto the porch of the creepy black cabin, shooting a smile at Will over his shoulder.

"Do you want to do some play practice before the game?" Nico asked. He seemed almost shy. Will could tell his face had lit up like Las Vegas at night and he nodded vigorously.

"Yep, yep, yep," he said, grinning wildly.

"Then you're going to need to shower," Nico told him. He pointed to the same tree they'd met at that morning. "I'll see you there in fifteen minutes."

Will started to leave and he waved back at Nico, yelling, "See you soon, Stinky!"

"Bye, Smelly!" Nico shouted in response, before his door closed and Will started back to his own cabin. He couldn't stop smiling the whole way.

They went to Act Three, Scene Five, as the next Romeo and Juliet interaction.

"Where's this bit again?" Will asked as he thumbed through his tags, looking for the right one. Nico coughed.

"It's after, um… after Romeo and Juliet… ah… consummate their marriage."

Will felt his cheeks heat up a little.

"Oh," he said softly. "You mean they-"

"Let's stop there, shall we?" Nico interrupted, holding his play open and clearing his throat. Will ducked his head and had a long look over the lines.

"You're starting here, Neeks," he said.

Nico shot him a grumpy look and muttered something like, "Don't call me Neeks."

"Fine," Will tried again. "You're starting here, Death Boy."

"That's no better!" Nico cried, staring at him. Will shrugged.

"Well, it's your nickname now so get used to it."

Nico grumbled as he started his line.

"Wilt thou be gone? It is not yet near day…"

They ran that scene once through and then sat under the tree together, waiting for the sun to finish setting on the horizon.

"I just realised," Will said, "that Romeo and Juliet have like, five scenes together: they meet, they kiss, they get married, they get frisky, and then they die."

"You just summed up the circle of life," Nico said blandly, before he cracked a smile. Will laughed and casually slung an arm around the black haired boy's shoulders.

"You made a funny," he said, sticking his tongue out. "I like it when you make funnies."

"You're talking like a baby," Nico parroted. "I hate it when you talk like a baby."

"Aw, come on!" Will whined.

When the two parted to get ready for Capture the Flag, Nico made the 'I'm watching you' sign at him. Will did finger-guns and shot the other boy, winking as he did so. Nico rolled his eyes and headed off, waving behind his back. Will walked to his cabin, whistling a tune he'd heard his mother sing to him as a kid.

I'm really looking forward to Capture the Flag! I left myself a back door for the next chapter, and I'm still debating if I want to take it or not, but I think I will. It'll be funny, I hope.

Now, onto the whole Solangelo Mermaid one. I would have posted it, I swear, but I have no idea what kind of title it could have! I'm stuck on a name for the story! If anyone has any ideas, tell me, please.

See you next time!

Jasmine Out!