"Nico? Hey, Nico!" Will shook the younger boy, but the son of Hades didn't budge. His breathing was slow and steady, so Will guessed he wasn't harmed, only… asleep.
He sat down no the couch and studied Nico's face. His expression, usually full of scorn and unrest was now utterly peaceful. DiAngelo, huh? He looked like an angel, indeed. Will had been so surprised when he had discovered the son of Hades at the Roman war camp. He was shocked to see him, but also strangely elated. Until Nico had opened his mouth. Seriously, the guy was way too hard on himself and Will had felt personally offended when Nico had stated that he had no home at Camp Half-Blood. The times he had tried to befriend Nico after the Great War, he had always looked distant, his eyes following Percy and Annabeth whenever they were around. Just his luck, he'd thought, falling for a boy whose heart already belonged to someone else, to a girl, no less.
Will sighed and took out a blanket from one of the drawers. He draped it over Nico, careful not to wake him, though he doubted he would. The boy slept like the dead. How ironic. As he watched Nico sleep a wave of tenderness came over him and he gently caressed his raven hair. It was as jet-black as you would expect from a son of Hades. Then, suddenly realising what he was doing, he shot to his feet and took a step back.
"Idiot," he cursed himself. But Nico was just so… cute! Will shook his head and stepped outside. He told his siblings that Death Boy was sleeping in the private nursing room and went to attend the other patients, determined to banish Nico's sleeping face from his thoughts.
…
Nico gasped as his eyes flew open, still disoriented from the nightmare that had invaded his dreams. It wasn't like the usual prophetic nightmares that washed over demigods, but a cluster of sad and painful memories, shards and pieces he would rather forget. His mother's expression when Hades had been unable to protect her. Bianca's stubborn grimace in the fight they'd had before she'd left for her quest. Percy and Annabeth kissing. Tartarus. The cave of cupid. Will Solace, a gigantic hellhound looming over him, ready to attack.
Nico steadied his breathing and looked around. He was still inside the private nursing room of the medical quarters, a nice warm blanket draped over him. It was eerily quiet in his room and so he got to his feet and put on his horrible flower-print shirt. A quiet whimper came from the other side of the door and a soothing voice that Nico immediately identified as Will's. He rolled his eyes as his heart leaped, then he stepped outside. Will was the only medic around and aside from the one demigod he was attending, the others seemed peacefully asleep.
"It's okay, it's okay," Will said and then, quietly, began to sing another healing incantation. Unnoticed by Solace, Nico stepped closer; he had a way of moving silently in the night. Will's yellow hair was almost glowing in the shadows and Nico could see that his face was lined with worry as he bandaged the demigod's clothes. Nico identified her as a Roman legionnaire serving in the fourth cohort. As Will's song continued her pained face grew more relaxed and soon she had drifted off in a peaceful sleep. Will sighed, wiped his forehead and looked up. His eyes widened and he put a hand in front of his mouth before he could cry out.
"Nico!" He hissed. "What are you doing out of bed?"
"Couldn't sleep." Nico shrugged.
"Couldn't sleep…" Will narrowed his eyes and studied him. "Nightmares?"
Nico looked away and heard Will sigh.
"Come with me," the older boy ordered and led him outside.
"What about the harpies?" Nico scanned the sky critically.
"It's okay," Will said and sat down on the wooden planks. "Medics get special rules."
"Is that so…" Nico murmured, more to himself than to Will. The son of Apollo gestured for Nico to sit down beside him and he awkwardly did so. Unable to look at his crush, Nico stared at the stars. He could make out the constellation of the Hunter Zoe Nightshade that Annabeth had shown him in his short stay at Camp Half-Blood.
"The Romans have left?" He finally asked.
"Yup, this afternoon," Will confirmed. Nico could feel his eyes on him.
"I hope they'll get back safely." Nico tried to ignore Will's gaze, but it wasn't easy. After a few minutes, it got annoying. "What?" He turned to Will.
"Earlier today…" the other boy began. "When you 'settled your tab' with Percy… did you tell him that you liked Annabeth?" The last words came out in a flurry and Nico felt his cheeks flush. He was glad it was so dark he could barely discern Will's face.
"What?! NO!" He hissed back. "Why do you ask? Why does everyone keep asking me that?"
"I –"
"I NEVER liked Annabeth, not like that anyway." He pouted and stared at his toes.
"Is –is that so?" Will mumbled and from the corner of his eye Nico could see Solace squeezing his knees.
They sat beside each other in an awkward silence, Nico's heart racing after Will's strange question. Why had he asked that anyway? Nico felt so exposed, almost raw… sure, he had told Jason, Percy and Annabeth how he felt, and he had an idea that Reyna knew, but the others? He still had a long way to go for that.
"That girl, Reyna," Will said after a while, his voice shaky. "She's really pretty, huh?"
Nico felt a sting in his chest, but he didn't let it show. He couldn't expect Will to fell the same way.
"I guess." He shrugged. "I've never really thought about it." The utter truth. Not like he thought girls were attractive anyway. He glanced sideways at Will, his contours warm against the cold dark of the night. His cat-like features, the Adam's apple in his throat more distinguishable than it had been a year back. He looked older, wearier, but he still radiated a soothing kindness, a warmth Nico felt inexplicably attracted to. Yes, Reyna was probably pretty, but Will was so much more.
"Really? You never thought about it?" Will turned his head towards Nico, his blue eyes locking on his. He looked pleasantly surprised and Nico felt flustered. Will's gaze was steady, but his eyelids seemed heavy, as if he was drunk on exhaustion.
"I, I don't…" Nico stared at his hands, trying to find the words. He wasn't sure why he was even telling Will this, or how he would find the courage. But he somehow knew he had to tell him the truth. "I didn't like Annabeth," he said weakly. "I liked Percy."
…
Will's heart raced. Though Nico had barely whispered the last words, he had heard everything. I liked Percy.
"Oh," he simply said and Nico stifled a laugh.
"Yes, oh."
Will felt stupid for not saying anything else, but his brain wasn't really able to process Nico's words.
"When you say 'liked'," he tried, his brain calling his heart to order. "As in 'like liked'?"
"Yep," Nico answered curtly, still staring at his hands.
Will's fingers dug into the floorboard.
"As in… past tense… likED?"
Now Nico scowled at him. Will was glad the darkness hid his undoubtedly red face.
"Yes. Will, what's wrong, you –" He was interrupted by a painful wail from inside the cabin. Immediately back in full-alert medic-mode, Will sprang to his feet and hurried inside, with Nico on his heels. One of the Hermes' kids was wriggling in pain. He hurried to his side and saw that the wound in the boy's side had reopened, red blood seeping through the bandages.
"Nico," he ordered, without losing a second. "Get me some bandages, and some medical gum."
"I – I don't know –"
"It's on the table over there." He pointed in the general direction, his eyes fixed on the patient. "Hey, listen to me," he said in a low, calming voice. "It's going to be all right, you're going to be alright. I'm right here, okay? I won't let you die."
Nico hurried over with the supplies and Will got to work.
When he was finished, the patient fell into a light slumber and Will sat down on a nearby chair.
"Phew." He ran his hands through his hair. When he looked up he saw Nico standing in front of him, staring at him, completely dazed. "What?" He asked uncomfortably. Nico snapped out of his daze and averted his eyes.
"Nothing," the son of Hades muttered.
"Are you okay?" Will studied him with concern. The few hours of sleep had helped him a little, but Will wouldn't let Nico out of his reach until the promised three days were over.
"Yeah, just… tired, I guess." Nico shrugged.
"Oh, yeah, you must be." Will was still on an adrenaline high from the treatment.
"You're not?"
"Adrenaline," he simply explained.
"Ah." Nico stood there sheepishly until Will gasped and blinked.
"Uh, yeah, sorry, come here." He got to his feet and pointed at a bed. "You can sleep here. Let me just get you something to wear."
"Pyjamas?" Nico grumbled unhappily, but he sat down on his bunk.
"Oh, just wait."
Will scrambled off and returned with a fresh Camp Half-Blood T-Shirt and a pair of black PJ trousers that he figured must be Nico's size. He handed them to Nico awkwardly.
"Um, here…"
"Thanks." Nico looked at the fresh clothes in his hand. Will had to admit that the flower print shirt looked rather strange on Death Boy.
Will stood there for a few seconds until Nico looked up and stared at him. Suddenly coming to his senses, Will blushed and laughed awkwardly.
"I, uh, I'll just –" He pointed into the direction of the nursing room and hurried off, his heart beating noisily in his chest. He left the door open so he could hear his patients if they needed him, but slumped down on the surgeon's couch. He stared at the ceiling, replaying the words he had exchanged with Nico earlier.
I didn't like Annabeth. I liked Percy.
As in… past tense… liked?
Yes.
His heart made a happy little dance as he realised that Nico fancied girls just about as much as he did.
