He was running from something. He didn't know what it was. If he looked behind him for even a second he knew he would be dead. He was so tired. Everything hurt. Where was his sword? He had dropped it somewhere. So careless of him. They were at war and he lost his sword.
The path was littered with rocks and tree roots sticking up out of the dirt. He had been fine so far, but the road was more jagged now. Just as he was thinking that he might be alright, his shoe caught on a stump and he fell face-first into the dirt. He could taste blood.
The monster was right on top of him now. He closed his eyes and awaited his gruesome fate. But all he saw was the sun rising. The light intensified until the light was all that existed. It was everywhere. He could tell someone was standing over him, but he had to intention of greeting Percy. Maybe if he ignored it, the dream would go away.
The same dream for years. The first few times he didn't know what it meant. But now it was clear; Percy was not for him. Percy would never love him but he didn't care. Percy was with Annabeth now, but he still didn't care. He loved Percy more than any other person. He also hated Percy more than any other person. He hated how he could never touch Percy in dreams. He hated how Percy was constantly switching between trusting him and pushing him away.
He stayed curled up on his side, trying to ignore Percy pacing around him, occasionally giving him a soft nudge. Percy knelt next to him, resting a warm hand on his chest. Percy's hands weren't warm, he knew for a fact. And he couldn't smell the ocean sea salt on him-why was that?
He opened his eyes and was confronted by brilliant blue. Blue like the sky on a clear, sunny day, nothing like the ocean. Strange, he found he liked this color much better. The hand on his chest slid up his shoulder and cupped his face. Definitely not Percy.
"Nico." Sweet laughter followed, like there was nothing left to say. His name was everything.
His thoughts were slow. He didn't understand. He couldn't even contemplate what this other spirit even looked like. He knew it had a face, but his brain seemed to put up some barrier preventing him from knowing how it looked. Besides, he couldn't stop staring at those bright blue eyes. Simply seeing them was wonderful, like eating a warm meal after a long day or hugging a loved one whom you missed.
"Nico." There it was again. He was pretty sure the spirit was the one talking, but the scene was so fuzzy that it was hard to be sure of anything.
"You're not Percy," he mumbled, dazed. It was stupid, he knew, but it was the only thing he could think of to say.
The spirit laughed again. "Oh, Nico, I love you."
"I love you too." Where did that come from? It was an immediate response, no hesitation, like something he'd always known. Sometimes that just happened by accident but how could it be when he'd only said that phrase a handful of times in his fourteen years?
The spirit grinned, and slowly his vision cleared. He recognized the spirit with a start. He had seen this camper around Camp Half Blood for years but never thought anything of it. "Will Solace," he muttered to himself. The only one at camp who he didn't intimidate. Funny and pretty and an all-around nice guy. Of course. Who else but his exact opposite would love him?
He reached up and brushed his fingers against the spirit's cheek. By some miracle the angel's face did not disintegrate or vanish. Instead his fingers hit warm flesh. So soft. He ran his palm over the skin and into messy curls.
"You need to let go of him."
His heart rate sped up and his grip tightened in the angel's blond hair.
"Come with me. Be happy. You deserve it." Will leaned down and kissed Nico's lips softly and it was so right and o obvious that Nico wondered how he had ever been so occupied with anyone else. When they ran out of air Will pulled away in time for Nico to rake a sohrt breath before they connected again, their kisses slow and sweet and packed with so many emotions. Will let his lips trail along Nico's jaw and down his neck.
"Will," Nico whispered after a few moments. "You're not going to leave me, are you?"
Will lifted his head from where it was tucked under Nico's chin. "No," he responded simply. "Never."
Nico felt his heart simultaneously break and swell. He didn't trust himself to speak for fear that he might burst out sobbing. Will knew what he wanted to say anyway.
"I love you too angel."
Nico's eyes fluttered open weakly. He was still in this hell-hole of a jar and probably would be there until he died. He had only eaten one of his stepmother's pomegranate seeds, but he didn't have that many to spare anyway. He was too weak to do much else than breathe.
He stared up at the tight clay walls and thought. So, Will Solace. If he lived long enough to get back to camp before the Romans invaded, maybe he would be able to talk to Will Solace.
WELP that was fun :) at least chapter was slightly longer than the others (i mean not rly but i tried) and hey next i have some nimona stuff if i'm not too lazy...