Almaji woke Nico up the next morning with a bright smile and a loud stomach. "It's breakfast time!" He sat above Nico with his face over his, letting his hair hit Nico's in a chance to annoy him. "Come onnnn. Will will be there. Ha, Will will."

Nico gently pushed Almaji aside and turned over. "I'll be there in a second. Five more minutes."

"And in five minutes you'll ask for another five minutes," Almaji argued. "If you don't get up I'll have Will wake you up."

Nico ignored him, keeping his eyes closed against the day. He was exhausted, and the bed was more comfortable than anything he found to sleep on the past week. He just wanted to stay there all morning.

"Nico!" Almaji shook Nico's shoulders. "Wake up!"

"I'm too tired." Nico scowled. "Go away."

Almaji grabbed onto his shoulders tighter, his small hands digging into his worn bones. Nico could feel his stomach stirring, his power moving to the cause of the threat...

"Almaji!" Nico threw Almaji's hands off him seconds before he got harmed. "Don't touch me!"

Almaji's eyes welled up with tears and his face filled with hurt, but Nico couldn't take back yelling at the young boy. If he had kept his hands there for seconds longer...

He ran out of the cabin as fast as his small legs could carry him, the door slamming shut behind him. Nico watched him go in sadness, knowing very well that he would tattle to Will about what he had done. Would Will appreciate the fact that he almost hurt a child? Or would he appreciate that he stopped himself?

Would he be scared?

Nico let himself fall asleep again but couldn't keep Almaji out of his head. Why did that boy seem so important? He seemed like a good kid, Will liked him, and Nico usually enjoyed his company. So why did he feel like the kid would change his life?

When Nico woke up and he thought about everything, the annoying voice came back with all its annoyingness. Can I input my opinion?

You will, anyway.

Will almost treats him like his own. Anubis seemed amused. As if Will is his father.

And you feel like telling me this because...?

Almaji seems to like you. If you and Will got together... Anubis trailed off. I know you're young and you don't think about this, but I can't help but notice.

You're an idiot and a pedophile. Nico scoffed, getting up. He's like a little brother, and I doubt me and Will will stay together for that long.

Anubis didn't answer, but he knew Nico was annoyed with him. Even if Nico didn't believe he had a future, Anubis did. And Almaji seemed to be at least a little brother to the two lovebirds. He was good for them.

Nico got dressed before jogging out of the cabin, ignoring people's confused glances as he made his way to the Infirmary. He needed to know where he and Will stood, if there was a possibility of them. He needed to know if he was looking for another place to live.

The Infirmary was quiet in the pale sunlight, dust particles floating by the open doors. There was only two patients, each only supporting minor cuts and bruises. Will tended to them as if they were dying, however, not letting them out of his sight. He cared too much about everybody even though he knew that they'd be just fine.

Almaji sat on a spare bed and watched Will stitch a teenage girl quietly, a small smile playing at his thin lips. It unnerved Nico to see the boy smiling at blood, but knew he could just be smiling at Will. He was watching healing, which was pretty cool. Of course he'd smile.

"Hey, Al." Nico went and sat by him, his eyes trained on Will. "I...I wanted to apologize for this morning. I was tired and crabby."

Almaji ignored him, his eyes not moving from Will's work.

"I wasn't thinking right." Nico continued, his voice laced with guilt. "I'm so used to being alone that it kind of scared me to wake up next to someone else. So I'm sorry."

After a couple of minutes, Nico shook the boy's shoulder, frowning. "Al, I'm talking to you."

"Hm?" Almaji turned to face him, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, I zoned out. What did you say?"

Nico looked into his eyes for a minute, trying to decide if the boy could be a demigod. He didn't seem normal anymore. "Iapologizingizing for this morning."

"Oh, it's okay." Almaji shrugged lightly before bringing his foot up beside him on the bed, playing with his shoe laces. The shoes looked to be too small and were pink, obviously borrowed from another camper. "I got scared so I ran."

"I didn't mean to scare you." Nico tied the laces for him, his slender fingers shaking slightly. "I was tired."

"Is that the excuse you always use?" Will broke in, having walked up to the two of them. He eyed Nico suspiciously but didn't look too mad. "Can we talk privately?"

"I'll go visit Travis and Connor." Almaji got the hint and exited the Infirmary, sparing them some looks over his small shoulder.

Nico looked up to Will, not knowing how to feel about the two of them. "Hey,"

"Hey? Really?" Will sat next to him. "What happened this morning? He said you yelled at him for touching you...?"

"I was half asleep and annoyed." Nico explained. "I didn't...I didn't want to do to him what I did to you. I could feel it coming."

Will's eyes widened. "You...you could tell it was going to happen?"

Nico nodded. "Yeah, I guess."

"That's good." Will smiled. "That's a step closer to controlling it."

Nico sighed at him, his face deadpanned. "I'll never be able to fully control it. We know this."

"No, we don't." Will shook his head. "I really think you could, Nico."

Nico looked away, his dark eyes clouding over with emotion. How could Will believe so much in him? Who in their right mind would believe in the powderkeg son of Hades? He was a timebomb and they all knew it.

"What are you thinking?" Will asked, resting a hand on Nico's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Nico nodded curtly. "Thinking."

"About...?"

"Where do we stand?" Nico asked abruptly. "Like...last night...it was...it was nice."

Will laughed softly. "You're adorable. Let's get this straight, I'm not. And you aren't either. And it seems we like each other."

Nico blushed darkly, his face heating up. "William Solace-"

"So would you like to date me?" Will asked, his face also turning red. "I mean, um, if you're not up to it, after the war and everything, I mean-"

"I would." Nico accepted quickly.

Will's smile turned brighter than possible. "Really?" Once Nico nodded he turned to face him, playing with his fingers. "Can I talk to Anubis?"

"What?" Nico asked, taken aback.

"I want to talk to Anubis." Will repeated. "Is he in there?"

Nico sighed but let Anubis take over, the god having been poking around his mind curiously. Once he did, he looked to Will as if he just met him. "Hello, son of Apollo."

"Anubis." Will crossed his arms. "Nico is now my boyfriend. I know you're a god and all but if you hurt him you'll have hell to pay."

Anubis laughed softly, the sound odd from Nico's mouth. "I won't hurt him, Will. I think me and him have similar thoughts, now. We know what we need to do."

Will frowned. "What does that mean?"

"If there's another battle, we know where our allegiances lie. Nico wanted to run away again. Remember the week he was gone? He'd rather live on the streets than live here. But we're working on keeping him here." Anubis explained.

Nico quickly took back control, not having to try hard despite it having used to be an impossible task. "Will, don't listen to him. He's an idiot that spills too much information."

"Why didn't you want to live here?" Will asked, his smile faltering slightly. "Was it me?"

Nico bowed his head, his eyes closing. "I'm sorry. I thought you hated me. I had hurt you and...and I didn't want to risk doing it again. I...I was scared of myself, Will. I still am."

Will wrapped an arm around Nico's shoulders and pulled him close, leaning his head on the top of Nico's. "You shouldn't be scared. We're working on it. I know you'll be able to control it. I know. And I'll work with you until you can."

"How aren't you scared?" Nico accused.

"Of course I'm scared. I'm scared as hell. But not of you. I'm scared of your powers, not you. There's a difference, Nico." Will brushed his fingers through Nico's tangled hair. "And I can see past that to see you. You're just a scared demigod that needs help. I'm ahealer. There's no way I could leave you behind."

He's good for you, Anubis expressed. He's really good for you.

For the first time, Nico agreed.