Nico hated the idea that he was cheating the Fates. It felt wrong. A wrongness that'd come back to bite him in the ass. From what he got from Anubis's thoughts, Almaji would probably have something to do with this.

Surprising himself, Nico didn't leave Camp Half-Blood after Will took the stitches out. He didn't even leave after the first week. Instead, he fell in love with his cabin and watching Will try and raise the young boy he had found on the streets. Even though he was watching Alamji because he was scared what the boy meant for him, Nico also watched because he liked seeing a happy ending for once. Almaji's story, if this was it, was the first Nico had seen that was happy at the end of being told.

You weren't overthinking it. Anubis assured him one day at breakfast, Nico's face red from blush when he thought he had caught Will staring at him. His eyes couldn't leave your face.

Get out of my head, you liar. Nico rolled his eyes, snapping his fork in two. Look what you made me do.

I didn't make you do anything. That's you being unable to control your strength. Anubis shot back. I'm already blamed for a lot. Don't blame me for things I didn't do.

You're the reason I have all this strength I can't control. Nico tossed the broken fork aside. So it is your fault. I can blame you all I want.

I didn't force this deal on you. You agreed, you know. Anubis's voice turned moody. This is your fault, too.

"Hey, Nico. Mentally fighting with Anubis?" Percy sat down across from Nico, carrying his own plate of breakfast. "I mean, you're getting the attention of campers that don't know of your...predicament."

"Wow, big word, Percy," Nico muttered, his blush long gone with the new anger Anubis had planted inside him. "Now go away and test your new vocabulary on someone else."

"Haha," Percy stuffed some pancakes in his mouth, syrup dripping down his chin and onto the wooden table. "I came to talk to you."

"About what? If this is about Anubis please leave. I'm already mad enough at him." Nico pushed Percy's plate towards the edge of the table. "Go."

"Hang on a second." Percy stopped the plate from sliding off. "Chiron thinks you're being too...showy with this. People are going to find out."

"So? Enough people already know." Nico tossed the pendant around his neck around, feeling the steady pulling of the string against his neck. "They'll find out anyway."

"Which will risk the possibility of your father finding out," Percy added. "Which would start a war, which wouldn't be good in the least."

"I don't think people would literally find out." Nico rolled his eyes. "They'd think something is weird with me, but they won't pin it to Anubis. It'll be fine, Percy."

"Will Solace already did." Percy blurted out.

"What?" Nico's voice turned cold. "What do you mean?" The shadows of the campers started to flicker and move towards the son of Hades, pooling around his feet. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It just happened. He came to Annabeth last night asking." Percy explained. "He said when he was healing you he felt another deity besides your soul. And then he saw the pendant around your neck."

"He's too nosy for his own good," Nico grumbled. "Look, I'll talk to him and make sure he doesn't tell anyone else. If you leave me be I'll make sure no one else figures it out. Okay?"

"Okay," Percy agreed, getting up. "I'll go tell Annabeth."

Nico rolled his eyes at Percy's attachment to his girlfriend but couldn't blame him. Nico felt attached to Will and they weren't even technically friends. A boyfriend, for Nico, would be someone Nico would never be able to stray away from. From how much Nico knew Percy to love Annabeth, that must have been exactly what Percy had been feeling.

Nico left his unfinished plate at the table before stalking to the Apollo table, stopping behind Will Solace with an air of annoyance. "Solace, we need to go talk."

Will's fork froze halfway to his mouth before dropping back onto his plate. "About what? Are your arms hurting you?"

"What? No. We need to talk about something else." Nico gave Almaji a small smile before dragging Will to his feet. "Let's go, you annoying medic."

Will stumbled after him, his blond hair flying in the breeze. "Slow down, Nico."

"No," Nico got to his cabin soon and closed the door behind them, finally letting Will's arm go. When he looked to Will, he was surprised to see tears of pain in the son of Apollo's eyes. "What? All I did was grab your wrist."

"Nothing." Will's voice came out shaky and weak. "What did you need to talk about? Are you hurt?"

"Percy told me that you know about...Anubis." Nico explained, trying to figure out what he had done to cause pain to the other boy.

"Oh," Will wiped at his eyes. "Yeah, sorry. I felt him when I was healing your arms."

"I need your word that you won't tell anyone." Nico crossed his arms, frowning at the smell that started to reach his nose. Almost like...decay?

"I won't, I promise." Will replied quickly. "I promise I won't tell anyone. It's not anyone's business, anyway."

"You're right about that." Nico moved Will to his bed. "What did I do to you? Show me."

"N-No, I'm fine." Will tried to get up, seeming...scared. He was scared of him.

Of course, Nico thought grimly. I ruined it.

Will walked towards the door quickly, holding the wrist Nico had dragged him thereby. "I should really get going, Nico. You don't have to worry about me telling anyone, okay? I apologize for going to Annabeth about it. It won't happen again."

"William! Show me what I did before I force you to!" Nico's fear was shown as anger as the shadows blocked the door of the cabin. "Now, Solace."

Will stared at Nico with fearful blue eyes before slowly making his way over to Nico. "Why do you want to see what you did so bad? You're not one to take pleasure in something like that. Or...or I thought you weren't..."

Nico grabbed Will's arm and brought it up to the light so he could see, his heart sinking when he saw what he had done to his potential friend. The skin of his wrist was decaying flesh, down to the white bone. The smell seemed as strong as a year old corpse.

"I did that..." Nico dropped Will's wrist as the shadows dropped from in front of the door. "I'm...I'm..." The apology wouldn't leave his lips and after a moment of silence, Will exited the cabin, mumbling about having to fix his wrist up. Nico watched him go and didn't fight it, now planning on leaving himself.