Everyone at camp knew that Nico had a slight weakness for takeaways.

'Slight.'

Obsession was a better way to describe it.

Honestly, it didn't really matter to him what sort it was. He was just as happy with any kind. As long as it had that smell. The delicious, mouthwatering one that wafted though the room as soon as you opened the container. And as long as it had that particular ease that came with food you ordered in. Takeaways encouraged you to be lazy, which when you're a pretty active demigod, was always a good thing. And as long as he didn't have to sit on the pavilion and eat it.

Because that was one of the main things he disliked about Camp. Of course, it was much better now he had friends here; people he could sit with and laugh with and generally just have a good time around. And, of course, he had Will. But he'd gotten so used to the solitude of living alone that sometimes he just couldn't face the idea of another evening surrounded by grinning faces. He couldn't face sitting at the dining table and looking down at the wonderful food around him and knowing that it would never be as good as the pizza delivery the Hermes cabin could sneak in.

And so, every Friday, he allowed himself the privilege of a skipped mealtime. He'd lurk in the darkness of his cabin, lie on the bed with a book or his mythomagic cards, and wait for the food to arrive. And when it did, he'd have a wonderful evening by himself, sitting on a blanket on the floor, with absolutely nothing to worry about.

Unless, of course, Will decided to crash his party.

Not that he minded. It was Will. That boy could do whatever he wanted, and Nico wouldn't get annoyed. And Will respected the need for privacy, anyway - he didn't come every week, and when he did appear it wasn't with the intent to force a formal time. It was better, sometimes, to be able to share the leave with someone he cared about. Someone who, if he was being perfectly honest, he loved.

However, it did mean that he actually had to pay attention to what he was doing. And not spill rice from the Chinese takeaway all over the floor. Because that was fine when it was just him, but it was a bit embarrassing seeing the cabin become such a mess when his boyfriend was over.

But chopsticks are hard. And sometimes one just slips out of your hand. And sometimes it flips through the air. And sometimes - he isn't sure how - it ends up falling and hitting you on the head. Causing a long and very loud laughing fit from the blond boy.

"Stop giggling." Nico growled, scrabbling around on the floor behind him as he tried to retrieved the the stick. It was surprisingly difficult to pick it up, with the grooves in the black wooden floor proving dips for it to sink into and stick.

"Idiot." Will leant over and grabbed the chopstick, holding loosely onto one end and using the other to teasingly tap Nico on the head. "It's not hard. I thought you ate Chinese food a lot?"

"I do." Nico huffed, turning back to the food and debating whether he could actually eat another bite. Probably not. But the rice looked so tempting...

"Catch!" The package hit him on the head before he could think to react. Will burst into a fresh bout of laughter as Nico picked the fortune cookie out of his lap, cursing the son of Apollo as he did so.

"You could have warned me a little earlier." He grumbled, scratching at the wrapping of the cookie with one fingernail. "I think I'm going to have a bruise."

"Wimp." Will teased. "It's just a cookie. Stop whining and open it."

"Have you got one too?"

"Sure I have." Will waved the bright package in the air like a trophy. "We can open them together."

"I bet Nemisis has been through them and changed the fortunes to something awful."

"Probably. Let's see!" Will tore into the wrapping like a child at Christmas. He had the cookie out and in his hand before Nico even had time to blink. "Come on, Lazybones."

"Give me a chance!" Nico pulled on the plastic packet until it tore and he held the biscuit in his palm.

"Okay. On three."

"I think you're making fortune cookies into a bigger deal than they actually are."

"Don't be ridiculous. Fortune cookies are the best." Will pretended to stare disapprovingly. "Three. Two. One. Open!"

Nico snapped the cookie and pulled the thin strip of paper from inside. Flattening it out in his hand, he read it aloud. "You have found the one who will heal your heart." He frowned. "Nemesis obviously missed this one. I bet she's disappointed."

"I'm not."

"What?"

"Guess what my fortune is?"

The realisation made him smile. "You got the same?"

"Yep. Hello, heart healer."

"Is that going to turn into another stupid nickname?" He tried to sound irritated, but he couldn't push the smile away from his face.

"You bet."

"Great." Nico snarked, leaning forward to shove at Will's shoulder. "Haven't I got enough of those?"

"There's no such thing as too many stupid nicknames." Will caught his hand, enveloping it in his own. And pulled him towards him, and kissed him.