"What do you mean "Us" ?!"
"Well, I'm coming with you"
"What ? No !"
"Nico, your dad specifically told me to take care of you."
Did he ? That... really didn't sound like something Hades would do. Then again, he's been acting weird for a while now. Maybe he finally decided to try his hand at being a halfway-decent dad. But still,
"Take care of me, yeah ! Not follow me into Hell !"
"Nico. You can't just expect me to watch you march off to the Pits of Hell without saying anything !"
"Why wouldn't you ? Why would you risk life and limb for the likes of me ? Why... Why does it seem like you actually care about me ?"
Will looked genuinely shocked at that, reeling back like Nico's own shock had physically reached out and hit him, but Nico didn't have enough brain-space to devote to worrying about to Will, since he was a bit busy undergoing what felt way too much like some sort of revelation to worry about anything else. Did Will care about him ? It seemed so impossible... because why ? What did Will see in him ? He was nothing more than the weird emo kid at camp who was actually super-powerful. He wasn't kind, or loving, or nice, or sweet. No, he was vengeful and cold and cynical.
Why would Will... why would anyone care about him ?
Distracted as he was by his own thoughts, he didn't realize that Will was coming closer until Will had already engulfed him in a hug, before he quietly whispered, "Because I do"
"W-What ?"
"Because I do. Why wouldn't I ? You're kind and forgiving and so... so... (Will desperately tried to resist the urge to say "Cute") lovable"
Lovable ? What the hell ? Nico was too busy processing the rest of that statement to focus on it at first, but when he did, his brain immediately short-circuited. Lovable ? Him ? Was Will insane ? He wasn't lovable. No, he was cold and stand-offish, and... and hard and emo... and...and...
Nico's train of thought began spinning off the tracks. Will thought he was lovable. Even if he didn't, he was okay with telling him that he thought he was lovable. What did that mean ? What could he have meant by that ? Could it be ? Was it possible... that... that Will...
Nico's cheeks were glowing with a steady red glow as he struggled to process the implications of that statement. Will's cheeks, too, were colored a brilliant pink. For a moment, the two stood there, in silence, before Nico interrupted the silence in a high, panicked voice,
"Right ! Chiron wanted us to check out some weapons, right ? Let's go then !"
The walk to the weapons cabin was, thank the gods, short. Unfortunately, it was short enough that Chiron, who was waiting for them near the cabin, saw the two of them emerging from the Hades cabin, cheeks aglow with blushes, and shot a very, very knowing look at Nico. He just glared back. Chiron smiled before turning to Will
"So, you've decided then ? You'll go with Mr. di Angelo ?"
"Absolutely"
Once again, Nico was taken aback by the sheer conviction in Will's voice as if it should have been obvious that he would follow Nico anywhere, even to the depths of Tartarus itself. Chiron smiled, looking overjoyed ... and were those small tears in his eyes ?..., and said, "Well said, Mr. Solace. Well then, if you're sure, pick out you weapon"
Will turned to Nico, who simply unsheathed his black Stygian Iron blade in response, "I already have my trusty Soulreaper. I don't need another weapon". Will shrugged and said, "You sure you don't need a shield ?"
"It's hard enough keeping my clothes on my body when I shadow-travel, Solace. I don't want to worry about a shield as well."
For a moment, the two stared at each other, before what exactly Nico had said began to sink in. Will immediately blushed a brilliant scarlet, while Nico turned a pale pink. Will stammered, "R-right... right... yeah... clothes. Would be a shame if you ended up naked...", before following up with the fakest chuckle Nico had heard in his life
Smirking slightly (the sadist !), Chiron trotted up to them, and said, "I would suggest you pick out a weapon quickly, Will. "
"R-Right.. yeah, of course"
As the two of them watched Will browse the shelves containing shields, bows and healing items, Chiron turned to Nico, about to say something, before Nico interrupted him,
"Nothing happened"
Chiron's expression softened from a teasing smile to a more understanding one, and he said,
"It's perfectly natural to experience attraction, Nico. Why do you want to deny it so much ? Is it because he's a man too ? If that's the case, then let me remind you that you are Greek, Nico. We practically invented homosexuality"
"That's not the problem. I already know that I'm gay"
"Then what is ?"
" It's just... what's the point in falling in love if you know that you're going to be rejected ? Will... he's like the sun... shining and bright... and I'm nothing but the shadow, cold and dark. How could he possibly love me ?"
Chiron smiled knowingly, and spoke softly and reassuringly, "And yet is it not true that shadow cannot exist without sun ? ... or that the existence of the shadow gives the sun meaning ? You'll never know unless you try, Nico. Try it. You might be surprised at the results"
Before Nico could think up a response to that, Will came jogging back to the two, holding a bow and what looked like a glowing, golden vial. He smiled brightly, and his face was like the sun, bright and alluring, "I'm all set ! Let's go !"
As Will talked with Chiron, Nico stood back, looking at Will and Will alone, noticing just how beautiful he was, how kind and caring, to put his own life at risk for Nico. A blush began making it's way across his face, as he remembered Chiron's words
"Try it"
Maybe he would, Chiron. Maybe he would
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