'So, what's the issue?' asked Hazel. 'You want to tell him, but...?'

'But every time I try I get these stupid butterflies and I just can't do it, Hazel. I mean...' I started pacing around the cabin, running my hands through my hair. 'It's just I love you. Will's said it a whole bunch of times. What sort of boyfriend am I if I can't even say it back?'

'You're someone who has been through an immense amount of suffering and grief,' Hazel replied gently. 'You're not used to telling people you love them. But that doesn't mean you don't. I don't think you've said it to me. But it doesn't matter because I know you love me.'

I felt a guilty pang as I realised this was true. Well, I could set that to rights at least.

'Hazel.' I took her hands and looked into her beautiful eyes. 'I love you. You mean the world to me.'

Hazel's eyes widened.

'Oh, Nico...you didn't have to.'

'No, but I wanted to. And hey, it felt good. I mean, I know saying it to my boyfriend will be totally different, but... that wasn't so hard.'

'Maybe you can practise on someone else too,' Hazel mused. 'What about Dad?'

I burst out laughing at how ridiculous that sounded.

'Yeah, right. Can you really imagine me telling Hades I love him?'

'I think you should,' Hazel giggled, 'Just to see the look on his face. You can take a picture and show it to me.'

We both had a little chuckle to ourselves.

'Yeah...I think I'll just focus on Will,' I decided.

'Well...' Hazel suddenly got this odd expression on her face, like she knew something I didn't. Huh. Weird. 'What is it you actually want to say to him? Besides just the 'I love you' part.'

'Ugh, where do I even start?' I began to think of all the things that I'd say to Will if I had all the confidence in the world. 'I'd tell him that I love his stupid dreamy blue eyes and his gorgeous blond hair. That I never would have thought it possible for anyone to look that handsome wearing hospital scrubs, but I love seeing him in them because it reminds me of all the times he's looked after me. Even though I pretended I didn't want him to, he was always there for me.' I paused. 'Sorry…that probably sounds super cheesy to you.'

'Not at all!' Hazel was looking straight at me, smiling. 'I'm sure Will would love to hear you say all those things. What else would you tell him?'

I thought to myself.

'That when we kiss it's like floating up into the stars. That he can make me feel better just with the healing power of his smile. That I have no idea how something so wonderful happened to someone like me. But most of all, I'd tell him that I love him to the deepest depths of Tartarus and back again.'

I sighed. It felt good to have gotten that off my chest. Heck, I didn't even know I was capable of saying all that out loud. If I could admit it all to Hazel, maybe…no. That was impossible.

'That was beautiful, Nico. Will is so lucky.' Hazel was looking very happy about something. Proud sister moment, I assumed. I'd never been the best at voicing my feelings.

'Yeah. It's just a shame that he'll never get to hear it all. Not all at once like that, anyway.' I scratched my chin thoughtfully. 'Maybe I could write it down for him in a letter or something?'

'Um…' Hazel was now looking suspiciously guilty. 'You might not need to.'

'Why…?' I began to ask. Then I noticed for the first time that she wasn't looking at me. She was looking over my shoulder at something right behind me. Something…or someone. From the angle of her eyes, that someone was probably about a head taller than I was.

Oh, gods.

I'd just blabbed all that ridiculous stuff and my eavesdropping boyfriend had definitely heard at least some of it. Because of course it was him. Who else would it be?

I gave a very large gulp as I turned to look up into his eyes. I wasn't sure what I was expecting to find there, but there was a mix of delighted wonder and disbelief.

'Uhh…' I swallowed again and asked the question I could already guess the answer to. 'How much…I mean…when did you come in?'

'Around the time you mentioned about telling Hades you love him.' Will was grinning. 'By the way…if you do take a picture of that, please show it to me too. That would be hilarious.'

I turned on my traitor of a sister, who was trying to muffle her giggles with her hands.

'You…you knew!'

'Sorry, Nico,' Hazel said, although she didn't look sorry at all. 'It was just such a perfect opportunity. It's what you wanted, isn't it?'

'Yes, but…' I facepalmed. 'Not like this.'

'What do you mean?' Will asked.

'I mean…' I threw my head back in frustration. 'I wanted to tell you all those things when I was ready.'

'And when would you have been ready? Nico…you've just made my day. Heck, you've just made my whole life.'

'Umm.' Hazel suddenly looked awkward. 'I think I'll leave you two alone.'

She slipped past us out the door. I saw Will toss her a thankful smile. Ugh! I hated them both.

'Please don't be embarrassed, Nico.' Will pulled me into one of his magic healing hugs. 'I mean, I knew you loved me and I've been waiting to hear you say that, but…I had no idea about the rest of that stuff.' He released me from his strong embrace. 'Like that you think my eyes are dreamy…' – he batted his eyelashes – 'Or that you think I look handsome in these.' He tugged at the hospital scrubs he was wearing, because of course he was. Why wouldn't he be after I'd just gushed about seeing him in them?

'Just stop talking,' I begged, covering my flaming face with my hands.

'Or that you were only pretending that you didn't want me looking after you. I had my suspicions about that. And I was right,' he declared smugly.

I wished the earth would swallow me up. Perhaps I could make that happen...

'Or that I can make you feel better with just my smile,' he continued, flashing said smile right at me. Even just looking at him through the gaps in my fingers, I wasn't immune to its power. It lit up the whole room. And that was saying something, considering this was the Hades cabin.

'You have a funny way of not embarrassing me, Solace,' I grumbled.

'Okay, I'll stop now,' he laughed. 'But seriously, Nico, I'm really touched that you feel that way about me. And I won't pressure you to say any of that stuff again until you're ready. I don't need to, after all. I can lock it all up in here.' He placed both hands over his heart. Oh Hades, he was going to be the death of me.

'Sure. Whatever you say.'

He chuckled.

'Now, I think this calls for a kiss, don't you?'

I finally let myself smile.

'Now that I can get on board with.' I got ready to reach up on my tiptoes, as per usual. Will, however, seemed to have a better idea. In a flash, he hooked one arm round my shoulders and the other round my lower back and the next thing I knew, I was swooping down towards the floor. Yep, he dipped me. I had barely a second to cry out in surprise before the noise was silenced by Will's lips on mine.

As I dangled in his arms, I realised I had been wrong. It wasn't just like floating up into the stars. It was like being in another world entirely. Our world.

Will pulled me upright.

'I thought an extra special kiss was in order,' he said, looking pleased with himself once he registered how the kiss had affected me.

'No kidding,' I replied, my head still spinning. He leaned in once more, this time to kiss my forehead.

'I love you so much, Nico,' he murmured into my hair. I leant my head on his shoulder, feeling safe and loved. He could always make me feel that way. He was a powerful demigod indeed.

'I…' I took a deep breath. 'I love you too, Will.'

It hadn't been easy to say, but getting to see the look on his face this time made it worth it.


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