"Will."

I woke up to an unfamiliar voice.

"Please wake up Will," the voice pleaded.

I didn't recognize the voice pleading with me. Yet I felt an aching need to give in to the voice. My instincts were urging me to answer, give the voice what it wanted. Anguish in the voice was so strong and I wandered why the voice wanted me to open my eyes and be okay. I just wanted to open up my eyes and tell the voice that everything was going to be okay. What even more strange was the pressure on my forehead. First I didn't understand it, but after a couple of seconds I realized what it was, a kiss. Then the pressure was on the tip of my nose. Then on my lips.

A stranger just kissed me. On the lips.

I wanted to open my eyes and look at the person, ask him why he kissed me. But I was taken aback. The boy smelt like a fresh spring in the middle of summer. Refreshing, summery and... cool. Like an icy breath of air. I immediately loved the smell and wanted to inhale it again. Those lips were feather soft, obsidian cool and tasted as fresh as he smelled. It was oddly comforting. Instead of opening my eyes and lashing at the person for taking advantage of my inebriated state I found myself yearning to taste those soft lips again. But they never came back.

Then the boy started reading poetry. I knew that this boy must be dumb as a rock if he thought I liked poetry simply because I was a son of Apollo. I did not like poetry even if my life dependent on it. True, I can curse somebody to rhyme or myself if it is necessary, but I do not like poetry. I thought about opening my eyes and telling him that, and that he really shouldn't kiss people when they are unconscious. May be he is not the one who kissed me. Anyhow a boy couldn't have such soft lips. It wasn't him who kissed me. I am the dumb one if I thought that a boy kissed me no matter how good he smelt. Besides I was not out at the camp or anywhere else and with my record nobody would ever even guess that I am bi. There must be some poor girl of whom I broke heart, here, silently weeping beside my hospital bed.

Not that I was heartless or a playboy, but I never promised any girl my heart. I was saving it for this special one I was looking for who I never met.

But then...

Vita della mia vita, mi sembri, the soft voice recited.

Life of my life, you seem to me

Come un albero di ulivo pallid

Like some pallid olive tree

How am I able to understand what the boy was reciting? It wasn't ancient Greek. It wasn't Spanish either. I would have had no trouble placing it, even though I am not fluent in the language, since I learnt in school.

O la rosa sbiadito vedo:

Or the faded rose I see:

Né ti manca la bellezza,

But pleasing every way to me,

Ma gradevole in ogni modo di me,

In shyness or in flattery,

It hit me like freight train. It was Italian. But since when do I understand Italian? I definitely didn't take Italian in school. And as far as I know there are no Italians here at Camp Half Blood. Yet here is a boy who recited Italian poetry and I of all the people understood it.

In timidezza o in lusinghe,

Whether you follow me or flee,

Sia che tu mi segui o fuggire.

Consume, destroy me slowly.

Why is a stranger reciting me a love poem? It felt as if the person meant what he recited. You simply couldn't fake that quiver in is voice or the thick emotion which weighed that voice down. I could really feel the emotions rolling off the boy in waves. Who is this boy?

I woke up once again to a voice calling my name. This was really getting rather annoying. Still it was funny that my heart craved for the voice which recited me Italian poetry, for hours it felt to me, till I went back to sleep. But it was not the voice I wanted to hear and I was disappointed. I am surprised at my own yearning and I didn't understand it. How could some unknown boy matter so much to me. This was not like me. I don't fall for faceless voices no matter how beautiful they are. Okay, may be I have hit my head somewhere when that monster attacked me. I just admitted that a boy had a beautiful voice. I mentally shook his head to clear my mind and tried to pay attention to the new voice. It was Kyla, my half sister who was not to be taken lightly. I grudgingly opened my eyes.

"Oh! Thank gods, you are awake." Kayla crowed and my other siblings gathered around me.

"Hey guys," I offered them a smile which I hoped was reassuring.

Then my siblings started going on about how glad they were that I was awake, how worried they were and a million more things. Eventually Kayla had to throw them out so she could examine me and put me back to sleep. She told Alex something in a warning tone at the door before closing it and coming back to my bed.

Good. I was itching to ask her about my mystery visitor, in peace.

"So, I have a question." I told her even before she could start.

"Shoot."

"Who was that boy sitting here earlier?"

Why beat around the bush?

"It was Nico," I knew Kyla well enough to hear the 'duh' she didn't add.

"Nico who?"

"Nico di Angelo?"

"Look Kyla, I have no idea who this Nico boy is or why he was here earlier. So I would really appreciate if you fill me in. I don't know him but he seems to know me. I woke up once before and he was here and he read me Italian poetry for Apollo's sake. He seems like a very good friend. So when he sees me I don't want to disappoint him. I need to know who he is."

What I didn't want her to know was that I wanted him to be more than a friend. I wanted him to be someone special to me.

"Yes, you were good friends Will," she fixed the sleep medication attached to my IV. "But there is nothing more to it I can tell you. You guys were quite good friends. Now, please go back to sleep. I'll come back soon." Kyla patted my arm and walked out of the infirmary as the sleep claimed me.

The next day was hectic. I was subjected to a lot of tests by a very fussy Kyla. Then I had a hoard of friends who came to see me. It was as if the whole camp, at least who was at the camp, wanted to see me. It surprised me that I had such a large amount of admirers around. There was this son of Venus who I went out with when I was attacked. He was something else, but mercifully not at all my type.

And, of course, the Seven was there the first thing in the morning. Though I had no idea why would they want t visit me. I mean I'm just a camper who was friendly. Nobody important enough for their attention. But Leo was, of course, being Leo, kept us entertained for almost the whole day and the girls were rather sweet which I found rather intriguing. I wasn't quite used to a giggling and silly Annabeth who wasn't quite serious and calculating all the time. First I thought that it was simply because she had Percy around but I noticed her the next day around the rest of the campers, the usual indifferent Annabeth, with Percy around. It was as if she considered me close. They did consider me close I think. I found the Seven much easier to hang around than my own siblings or any other friends from the camp. We joked and laughed like the teens we were, and it took me by surprise seeing rather a funny and talkative Jason than the stoic person who he usually was. I felt normal for the first time since I woke up.

All the others who visited me seemed to be very cautious around me as if they were dealing with a dangerous explosive. I pondered this as Piper related the story of Percy and Jason being possessed by eidolons, and Percy getting knocked out by Blackjack the Pegasus after he knocked out Jason, to much chagrin of both the boys. The story was rather funny and both the boys sounded quite silly in the story and even now as they tried to make themselves heroic unlike in Piper's story. I found it odd that the group of demigods would be so free with me but not in front of the others. Earlier when the group came in there were a few other demigods visiting me and the Seven was greeted well and they were friendly with each other, but the moment it was just us in the room the atmosphere got even more friendly with silly jokes, funny stories and deep depressing discussions where they asked my opinion of this or that and seemed to consider me as their shrink, and I felt quite comfortable. I felt home.

And then there was my mystery man. Nico di Angelo.

The boy was breathtakingly beautiful. My heart stopped for a minute when I first laid my eyes on Nico. I knew that it was the same boy who was beside me earlier the moment I saw the boy. Nobody had to introduce him, I just knew it was him. Almost black hair was cut stylishly to frame his slender, beautiful face. He was small. Not tiny, but he was smaller than me, yet well defined. He was in a pair of black skinny jeans, a navy t-shirt which was not too tight but hugged him just right, and it complemented his olive skin. Nico was unlike any other demigod. There was a certain aura of darkness around him, but it didn't feel evil. Instead it radiated power and warmth of safety. This darkness was the darkness of blissful ignorance that shrouded innocent from the evil of the world, not the darkness that snuffed out the light of life. Confidence radiated off the boy and it scared me. He is not to be mine, was the first thought came to me. May be the boy cared for me a lot and we must have been good friends, but this radiating, amazing demigod was too much for me to handle. He was too good looking, too amazing. I had never seen such an amazing demigod before. It was breaking my heart to have the boy so close by, yet so far the same time. Simply a good friend. Great. Now I am drooling after a good and most likely a straight friend. Could I be more pathetic?

I wanted to ask Nico a million questions but didn't know where to start or how to start. I simply didn't know where to start a conversation with him. And he was just fine talking to me, joking along with the others. There were no secret looks or meaningful gestures. Just friends. Then, it was something Percy said snapped me out of the place I was wandering in.

"It's very unsettling that my baby brother is technically some seventy years older than me. That is so odd. And I have a golden horse for a brother..." Nico slapped the back of his head cutting whatever he was saying short while the others shook their heads reprovingly at the brothers' banter.

Something Percy said caught my attention. Nico wasn't from this generation. He must be one of the returned souls or must have gotten stuck in time somehow like Thalia. He must be from 1940s then, I quickly calculated. I was an idiot to even think that I could have a chance at things with Nico. He must have grown up learning that same sex relationships are a sin. I remember that daughter of Pluto, Hazel, fanning herself, at the scandal when she first heard of it. I felt like banging my head against the headboard to dispel my idiocy.

"You know Will, we should give you sparring lessons so the next time you come across a monster you don't get knocked out," Nico told me, pulling me out of my rather suicidal thoughts. There was a mischevous gleam in Nico's eyes as he talked. Gods! He is beautiful.

"Oh! Shut up. I'm sure you would have been scared too if you faced THAT monster. Besides are YOU going to give me lessons TINY?" I mocked.

"Um, Will? You so do not want to antagonize the son of Hades," Leo mumbled.

"Son of who?" My jaw dropped to the floor. Shit. The boy is getting way out of my league. A son of big three? That was the aura around him, but how can a son of Hades radiate such pleasant and positive vibes?

And since when does Hades have children?

And how in the name of Apollo, a child of the Underworld can be so beautiful?

Percy started counting his fingers as he spoke.

"Let's see. Hades. The god of underworld. One of the three major gods. The lord of dead..."

"Oh! Shut up Percy," I groaned. "I know who Hades is. I just didn't have any idea that he had children."Much less such a beautiful child I added thoughtfully. "Do you have any Powers?" I added as an afterthought.

"Um, yeah." Nico nodded hesitantly.

So far the group of demigods didn't give away any indication of something amiss. But now the worried glances which were exchanged among the demigods didn't escape me.

"Can you show me?" Nico nodded as if he wasn't sure. But I was curious. I had to know before I made the crucial mistake of perusing the boy. I was already considering giving it a try, but this could change things.

"Sure."

All of a sudden shadows started closing in on us and a skeleton rose out of the ground. There were waves of sadness rolling off him. I couldn't really read the feelings but it felt like loss, and its weight was killing me. I felt an aching need to put a stop to it, make him feel better, take him in my arms and keep such despair away from him. What or who can ever hurt this beautiful person? I could feel the other demigods standing alert. Leo's fingertips were on fire but the rest of them were better at not letting out their reactions. But my attention was solely on Nico. The boy's olive skin started paling after a minute as shadows grew stronger. I could almost feel Nico's vitality flickering, just so slightly. Perks of being a healer. I couldn't watch it any longer if it was hurting him. No. Stop.

"Stop. Stop." I blurted. I knew that it took a toll on demigods to their powers. But now watching the delightful color drain from Nico's face hurt me.

Nico slumped on the chair he was sitting on. I was instantly standing next to Nico, holding his hand. I could feel sparks run through me at the contact as I took hold of the boys hand, but I ignored it as I could feel the darkness radiating from Nico as if it was some ghastly aura, which was draining the life force out of the smaller boy. His life is much more important than my stupid crush. I could feel the pulse flicker and fail for second on the pale slender wrist, and my heart clenched painfully at the boy's pain. So much pain in such a beautiful person! I instinctively chanted a prayer to my father fast, and I could feel darkness receding slowly from Nico into my own body. I was surprised but I didn't feel any different either. It was as if I was absorbing his darkness and that delightful colour was slowly returning to his skin. I felt accomplished and proud of myself as I lifted my head to look triumphantly at the rest of the demigods. They were shocked beyond words, even Nico. It hurt a little, I was used to people undermining my abilities. Yet it was something more than shock as I watched them closely. It looked like awe.

"You have never done that before," Nico whispered watching our intertwined hands.

"What?" I had to make sure I heard Nico correctly.

"Um, nobody has ever done that before," it didn't escape me how Nico edited the statement. Had I done this for him before?

"Wow! I never knew you were that good at healing. Good, I knew, but this is beyond good." Nico lifted his head, but didn't meet my eyes.

He took a deep breath as if he was going to say something else, but abruptly turned around and left the infirmary, not before I saw a single tear roll down his cheek. I wanted to go after him yet as I turned to the others to ask why he left so, and I didn't quite get what I wanted.

"i knew you were awesome when u saved Annabeth's life that time, but like Nico said this is beyond cool. Imagine if you are battle trained too. Most of the medics we have here in the camp are not really good at wielding a weapon. We need to get you trained soon." Percy was quite excited. And he did quite a good job at covering and, or, ignoring Nico's hasty departure.

"Percy, I am worse than almost all of them and you know it. It's pointless. And why did Nico leave like that?" I was getting exasperated now.

"It takes a lot for him to use his powers, Will. Before the accident you actually were his doctor and you were hell bent against him using his powers. It actually took us all by surprise when you asked him to show his powers. Only you knew the depth of the damage those powers did to him. As for why he left abruptly, I'm sure he is just tired and he wanted to go back to bed. You know he did get up awfully early to come say hi to you." Piper's words made the others laugh and even I couldn't help a small smile at that.

So we did know each other. I was his doctor.

"You are training the sword with Percy and Nico. Everyday. I will make you a schedule and get it approved by Chiron. We are not going to risk losing you again Will." Annabeth didn't leave any space for an argument, slipping back to what we were talking earlier easily.

I nodded since there was nothing else I could do. I didn't want to give up a chance to get to know this boy whom I was quite getting attached to either. May be he is way out of my league, but I didn't want to lose his friendship if it meant so much for him. I know we could be quite good friends at least and I wanted to take whatever I could have even if it is a lot less than what I wanted. So I nodded.

Even if I can't have him I'm not losing him.