"When are you going to your mom's?" Nico asks, leaning back against the beanbag, blinking slowly. Will hums from his space next to Nico, tilting his head to look over at the younger boy. He pushes a piece of hair out of Nico's face, which makes Nico flush and mutter something under his breath.
"Friday, I'll spend the weekend with her. She's on break from her tour for two weeks and she wanted to see me for my birthday, so I decided to go. But I couldn't get a flight until this week, so it's just a bit after my birthday." Will says, and Nico nods, chewing on the inside of his lip. Will nudges him. "You know my offer still stands."
Nico shakes his head. "I couldn't impose on your time with your mom, Will. Especially for your birthday." Will rolls his eyes in a huff, sighing deeply.
"How many times am I gon' tell ya, you're not imposing! My mama said she would love to have you, to meet you. She's the one who made the offer!" He says, and Nico shakes his head again.
"It's a very kind offer, but…" Nico trails off, looking deep in thought.
"I mean it, Neeks. My mama has heard a lot about you, and she wants to meet you." Will says gently, reaching over to take hold of Nico's hand, playing with the skull ring on his middle finger. Nico watches him for a minute, features softening.
Nico's gotten used to Will's affectionate side quite easily, Will muses. Where once he would flinch, blushing at the slightest touch, now Will can touch his… gods, his boyfriend. He can really say that word now. Fantastic.
"What are you thinking about?" Nico asks, tilting his head a little bit to the side, dark hair falling over his eyes. Will just smiles, shaking his head.
"Nothing important. Just how cute it is when your ears get red when you're embarrassed." Nico shoves his shoulder, a scowl on his face.
"I am not cute." He mutters, and Will just laughs, the sound reverbing through the cabin.
"Sure, Mr. Prince of Darkness. Now pay attention to the movie or you're gonna be confused about the next ones." Nico eyes him.
"How many did you say there were?" Will grins at him, and Nico just sighs, shaking his head.
"Just relax, Neeks. You'll love it, I promise."
—
"Argus is taking you to the airport, right?" Kayla asks as she hands Will his backpack. He slings it over his shoulder, nodding.
"Yeah, over to JFK. I won't be but the weekend. Don't let Yan murder anyone while I'm gone, Kayls." She just laughs, tossing her head back in mirth.
"Oh please, he wouldn't do that!" Will raises an eyebrow, and more giggles leave her lips. "Well… I wouldn't let him anyway, promise."
"Yeah, yeah, I wouldn't be surprised to come back to the end of the world here, AGAIN." Will teases, and Kayla just rolls her eyes.
"Oh, come on, Will. Have a little more faith in us." She says, and Will just chuckles.
"I should get goin', then. Nico's probably waiting outside to walk me over to the van." Kayla just smirks at him, and Will shoves her shoulder with a laugh. "Don't look at me like that."
"I wasn't looking at you like anything, Will. Go hang out with your boyfriend." She says, and Will just shakes his head, walking out of the cabin.
Nico is leaning against one of the posts on the front porch, more interested in his ring that he's fiddling with than the camp around him. Light filters across his face, lighting up the freckles that have started to form across his cheeks and nose. He looks younger, if that was even possible. Healthier.
The sun suits him. Which is ironic for a child of the Underworld.
"Ready to go?" Nico asks when he lifts his head, hearing Will's footsteps. Will nods, a smile turning up his lips. He adjusts his backpack on his back.
"Last chance. One time ticket to test how your shadow travel is now that you're eating a bit more and not flickering." Will says, and Nico just shakes his head again.
"No, Will. You enjoy the weekend with your mom. Take some time to just be Will, not everything that you have going on here." Nico says as they walk through the camp. Katie waves as they pass Demeter Cabin, before turning to bark orders at one of her younger siblings. (...Lily? Briar? Will can never remember names as much as he hoped he could, especially the younger campers. At least not until they've been in his infirmary.)
The back of Will's hand brushes against Nico's, and even in the warmth of the late summer sun, Will feels a shiver run up his spine. He supposes that Nico just has that effect on him. Nico's hand twitches, but he doesn't do anything, so Will just lets it be.
Once they're out of the sight of the cabins, Nico hums, hooking his pinky around Will's. The sudden touch startles Will, but Nico just laughs, a slight blush tinging his cheeks.
"I'm trying." He says softly, and Will just shakes his head, smiling brightly at Nico.
"I told you a million times, Neeks. Your pace." He says, and Nico just gives him a small grateful smile.
"I know. I just feel bad sometimes…" Nico trails off, a wistful look on his face and Will shakes his head, frowning.
"Don't. I'm doin' just fine, Neeks. I like this. What I like even more is knowin' that you're okay with what's going on. You didn't grow up the way I did, didn't live the life I did. I know it's big for you, and I'm a patient guy." He smiles, and Nico just sighs.
"You'll tell me if otherwise?" He says, and Will shrugs.
"Nothing otherwise to feel about." Nico looks at him for a long minute, an unreadable expression in his dark brown eyes, before he nods. They reach the bottom of the hill, where Argus is waiting for Will, his hundred eyes blinking slowly.
"Okay then. Have fun with your mom, Will." Nico says, and Will smiles, squeezing Nico's pinky with his own before dropping it.
"I'll see ya on Monday, Neeks. Make sure my siblings don't burn down the camp in my absence." He says with a laugh, and Nico just rolls his eyes, waving his hand dismissively.
"Sure thing, Solace."
—
The house looks just the way that Will remembers it. The same warm golden brown paint, the same long sidewalk leading up to the porch that he had drawn swirls on with chalk as a young kid. Though why he never realized that there was a sun shaped suncatcher on the front porch, or what that meant, he will never understand.
He closes the door to his mom's truck, swinging his backpack over his shoulder. Will breathes in deeply, sighing happily. It must have rained earlier. The smell of petrichor still lingers in the air.
It reminds him of Nico.
"Did you get the porch redone?" He asks, and his mom laughs as she shuts the driver's side door.
"Sure did, 'bout a year ago, give or take? You know that old thing was breaking down." She drawls, and Will can't help but laugh, nodding. "Door's unlocked, go on ahead. I needa talk to Bethany about next week once the tour resumes. There's some sun tea in the fridge and your room should be all ready to go." Will smiles, kissing his mom on the cheek before practically running towards his childhood home.
The inside is just how he remembered it, even if it's a lot smaller. He supposes that growing a good handful of inches since the last time he was here will have that effect. He's nearing six foot now… He touches the measurements on the doorframe entering the kitchen. They stop at 11. The last time that he had been home and his mama had measured him.
Will sighs deeply. It feels like just yesterday that he left for camp permanently, but it was 4 years ago. So much has happened, so many things he had experienced and dealt with and learned to move on from.
Will walks over to the desk, and a few tears spring to his eyes. He looks so young… He doesn't even remember these photos. He picks up one of him and his grandma. The same dark blue eyes shine up at him from both of their faces, though Will has the mark of his father, a golden center spreading out like the rays of the sun. He remembers her funeral, maybe 2 years before he came to camp. Did she ever know about Apollo?
Will sighs, setting down the photo and heading towards his childhood bedroom.
It's just how he remembers it. Star Wars posters and all. He twirls around, looking at everything. HIs same baby blue sheets, the mess of comic books and other books on his bookshelves. Everything really looks exactly the same. He's sure his mom hadn't really touched anything since he left home, but the sight of everything looking like it had when he was 11 makes his heart ache just a little bit.
The Will that had lived here was so different. So innocent, lacking any of the trauma, the things that he had seen in the last four years.
"Ah, I forgot that I had something for you." His mom says, entering his room. She holds out a small box, and Will takes it, peeking inside. He beams up at his mom, his eyes glittering.
"Did you get everything that I asked for? It was gonna be hard to do it from camp, and I wanted to make sure everything was perfect." His mom laughs, ruffling his messy blonde curls.
"I'm sure Nico will love his gift. For his birthday, yes?" Will nods, tucking the box into his backpack.
"Yeah, it's in January. My siblings are trying to teach him all about music and stuff, but I wanted him to have something personal from me." His mom smiles, her hands on her hips.
"Well, I've always taught you that music is a language of love, so sharing the songs you loved as a child with your boyfriend is real sweet of you, sunbeam. I'm sure Nico'll love it, like I said. I'm sure surprised that he's not here with you." Will sighs.
"I tried to convince him that you didn't have an issue with him bein' here." He complains, throwing himself back against his pillows. The familiar smell of the laundry detergent his mom always used surrounds him. "But he refused, sayin' that he didn't wanna impose on our time together." His mom laughs, shaking her blonde curls out.
"He sounds like a real cutie, and nice to boot. I wish he had come with you, I was real excited to see the boy that my sunshine is so smitten for." She pinches Will's cheek playfully, and he bats her hand away.
"I really like him, Mama." Will admits, and his mom presses a soft kiss to the top of his head, her citrusy perfume filling his nose.
"I know you do, baby. I can see it in the way that you talk about him. I'm glad you're bein' yourself and not letting people get in the way of anything. I'm real proud of you, Will. I always have been. You know your dad would be too." Will looks up at his mom with big eyes. She's said that to him dozens of times before, but ever since he learned the reality of who his dad was, it hit even more.
"You think so?" He says softly, and his mom nods, sitting down next to him on his bed.
"I know so, Will. You've read the stories of your dad, you know that he would be. Even if he hasn't shown you, your dad loves you." Will bites down on the inside of his cheek. He's only seen his dad once, and that was after losing almost all of his siblings. They've never spoken. Apollo's only given him bad dreams and healing skills.
"Sometimes it's hard to reconcile that." He says quietly, and his mom looks at him, her blue eyes warm. "He's just… not around. It's hard because I know Nico gets along well with his dad but… I've never even met mine. I've only seen him from a distance, and he didn't show any interest in talkin' with us. I wasn't really in the right headspace anyway but…" He sighs, running a hand through his hair.
"Your dad is flighty." His mom admits. "He is kind, and warm, the brightest spirit you'll ever encounter, but his moods change like the sun changes phases." Will nods, picking at a piece of his nail. "Don't worry about it too much, baby. You have your siblings that you love so much, yeah?" Will nods, a smile creeping onto his face as he thinks about the kids waiting for him back at camp. "Good. I'm gonna get to work on dinner, why don't you relax for a while?" Will nods again, reaching over to envelop his mom in a hug.
"I love you, Mama."
"I love you too, sunshine."
—
"Will, can you get the door?" His mom calls from the kitchen. "Not quite sure who it is, but be a dear, yeah?"
"Yeah, I got it!" He calls back, getting up from the couch and going over to the door. He pulls it open, and his eyes widen. "Who is— Nico?"
Nico staggers, swaying on his feet. "Is that invitation still open?" He barely finishes his sentence before he passes out, but Will is fast, having dealt with this before. He catches Nico, picking up the smaller boy bridal style.
"Mama!" He yells, pushing the door closed with his foot. His mom comes out of the kitchen, and she gasps when she sees the scene unfolding in front of her.
"Oh heavens! Is that Nico?" Will nods, carrying his boyfriend over to the couch. "Does he need anything? I think we have some ice packs in the fridge." Will shakes his head.
"He musta shadow traveled here, and it just makes him real tired. If we just let him rest, it should be fine. I have to check and make sure he's not flickerin' or meltin' into shadows though." His mom's eyes widen, but Will just shrugs his shoulders, a slight frown on his lips. "Don't worry though, I got this. I'm an expert at Nico at this point." His mom just leans over, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.
"Well, I'll make sure to make another serving for dinner for Nico there. Let me know if you need anything." Will nods, and his mom turns to go back into the kitchen to finish up making dinner.
Will grabs onto Nico's hand, searching his boyfriend's vitals. There's a little flicker of shadows here and there, but nothing as serious as when Nico had come into the infirmary after the battle with Gaea and the Roman camp. Nico's heartbeat is the same as ever, a bit slower than most people, but strong and steady. No hints of a stutter. His breathing is deep and even, his chest rising and falling in his sleep. Will looks down at Nico's hand. His skin looks a little waxy, a little paler than usual. He sighs. At least Nico seems to be okay physically. Now all he has to do is wait for Nico to wake up.
After about 20 minutes, Nico stirs, blinking blearily as he starts to raise his head from the pillows on the couch.
"Hey, Sleeping Beauty. Welcome back." Will says with a slight teasing lilt to his voice, and Nico sits up all the way. Will rifles in his pockets, taking out one of his emergency Kit Kats. "Here, eat this before you get dizzy."
"M'already dizzy." Nico mutters, but he takes the chocolate from Will, unwrapping it and biting into it with a grumpy frown on his face. That expression is so endearing to Will, he can't help but reach out and brush the back of his hand across Nico's cheek. Nico leans into the touch for a second before he seems to realize where he is, stiffening. Will frowns.
"What's wrong?" Nico shakes his head, quietly eating his Kit Kat.
"I shouldn't be here." He says after a minute, and Will frowns again.
"Neeks, I told you a million times–"
"Is Nico feelin' better now?" Nico stiffens at the sound of Will's mom's voice.
"Yeah, mama, he's just woken up now." Will calls back, and his mom walks into the living room, wiping her hands on her jeans. Nico sits up suddenly, swaying a little bit. Will rests a hand on his back, steadying his boyfriend. "Hey, take it easy, sunshine. You just shadow traveled."
"Hello, Ms. Solace." Nico says, looking up at Will's mom. She just waves her hand, a kind smile on her face.
"None of that Ms. Solace nonsense, you're dating my darling boy, you can call me Naomi." Nico turns his head to look at Will, and Will just shrugs, a smile playing on his lips. "It's so nice to finally be able to put a face to the name of the boy my Will has been tellin' me so much about."
"Mamaaaaaa." Will whines, and his mom just laughs.
"Well, I'm gonna get back to dinner, but I just wanted to make sure that Nico there was alright. Nico, you don't have any foods you don't like, do ya?" She asks, and Nico's eyes widen, the younger boy biting down on his lip.
"Oh, mama, don't worry much about that." Will interrupts. They hadn't talked much about Nico's eating habits, but he didn't want his boyfriend to have to dump all of that on his mom. Nico gives him a grateful look. "Our meals at camp are pretty varied, so it doesn't really matter."
"Sure thing, sunshine. Holler if you two need anything before dinner!" She says, swishing her way out of the room.
Nico's quiet for a moment, picking at a fraying thread on his jeans. "Thank you." He says, and Will smiles, reaching over to thread his fingers with Nico's. Nico stares at their hands for a second, an unreadable expression in his eyes.
"I figured you didn't wanna get into it, and you'll eat enough, I'm sure. She will probably worry about you regardless, though." Will admits, and Nico just shakes his head.
"I'll be fine, Will. I just didn't want to get into it, like you said. I can eat. I probably should after shadow traveling anyway." He says, and Will nods.
"Speaking of, I looked at your vitals while you were out. Everything seems fine, but you did flicker once or twice and there were some residual shadows. I'm hesitant, but it seems that getting regular sun and food has been helping you." Nico nods, fiddling with the sun charm on Will's bracelet.
"I feel a lot stronger. And shadow travel doesn't take as much out of me as it did after jumping the Atlantic. But even when I first learned how to do it, I would need to sleep. Do you think…?" Will shakes his head.
"I think that no matter how healthy you are, you'll always pass out after. Maybe not so much fainting, but definitely sleepy. It's the downsides of your powers." Nico huffs.
"You don't have any bad side effects." He mutters, and Will laughs softly.
"Yes I do. If I haven't eaten before healing, I can pass out from exhaustion very quickly. Remember when you were in the infirmary?" Will says, and Nico nods. "That's happened a few times before, mostly when we get slammed and I'm on my feet for hours. Healing's the only thing I'm good at, so–"
"Hey." Nico says, and Will stops, looking at Nico with wide eyes. "You need to stop getting after yourself like that. You're a great healer, Will. Everyone would tell you that. You don't need to exhaust yourself just because you start thinking it's all you're good for."
"But it is–"
Nico shakes his head. "Your siblings would tell you you're a great head counselor too. A great older brother. Seriously, Will. Just because you don't have the same gifts as your siblings doesn't make you lesser than."
Will just looks at Nico for a second, blue eyes meeting brown. Nico blinks once, twice, and Will throws his arms around his boyfriend, pulling him into a hug. Nico squeaks a bit in surprise, but his arms snake around Will's waist, and he buries his nose into Will's shoulder.
"I'm so lucky to have you, you know that right?" Will murmurs, breathing in deeply. Nico smells just like the air outside, like the calm after a storm.
"I should be saying that to you." Nico says back quietly. "You deal with all my bullshit, and–"
"And you deal with alla mine." Will points out, and Nico's shoulders shake slightly in laughter.
"Yeah, I guess I do." Nico says, his hands pressing against Will's waist. "Still can't believe it sometimes." Will pulls back to look at his boyfriend in surprise, his blue eyes wide.
"Yeah?" He asks, and Nico just shrugs his shoulders.
"Boys!" Will's mom's voice leaks from the kitchen. "Go wash up and then come get some dinner!"
Will stands up, offering his hand out to Nico. Nico looks up at him for a second before taking his hand, and Will hauls him up to his feet. "C'mon, Neeks. There's a bathroom in the hallway you can wash your hands in."
Dinner is a bright affair, with Will's mom talking at a mile a minute about tour, and asking Nico and Will a million questions about camp and everything that had happened over the past years.
"I still can't believe that you didn't tell me Hazel DIED!" Will exclaims, and Nico just rolls his eyes, stabbing at his potato with his fork.
"It didn't seem important!" He shoots back, and Will huffs, crossing his arms.
"Oh no, not important that you wandered the Fields of Asphodel lookin' for your sister, and found not only another sister, but a DEAD sister, and just… brought her back to life like it was nothin' and your dad just LET IT HAPPEN!" Will says, and Nico laughs, shaking his head.
"Y'know." Will's mom says, a grin teasing at her lips. "Anyone else having this conversation would be utterly baffled by what y'all are sayin', you know that right?" The thought makes both Will and Nico dissolve into laughter.
"Anyway, Mama, I wanted to take Nico into Austin tomorrow, just to hang out and do something. Would you be able to take us?" Will asks, and Nico shifts uncomfortably. "What, Neeks?"
"She doesn't have to drive us." Nico says, and Will frowns, shaking his head.
"You are NOT shadow traveling again, not for a few days. You'll have to take us back to camp on Monday anyway." Nico bites down on the inside of his cheek.
"I didn't say I was gonna shadow travel us." He comments, and Will blinks, tilting his head to the side. Huh?
"Nico, you're only 14." Will's mom says, and Will sees the beginning of a smile turning up Nico's lips.
"My dad… gave me a zombie chauffeur." Will and his mom both stop, twin looks of confusion on their face. Nico sighs. "So I don't shadow travel as much. He can take us into the city tomorrow so we don't inconvenience you, Ms. Solace."
"Nico, dear, really. Call me Naomi." Will's mom says, and Nico just smiles. Will knows that smile. He's not gonna call her Naomi. "It wouldn't be an inconvenience at all, either." Nico just shrugs.
"I thought that Will would like to try it out. Especially since he hasn't tried shadow travel before. Would be a good primer before having to get back to camp." Will's mom laughs softly, a tinkling sound that brings Will back to his childhood.
"Well… if it's what you want, I have no issue with you two goin' into the city. Just be careful, yes?" Will and Nico both nod. "Alrighty then, I got a call from my producer that he needed me to come to the studio, so I'll be gone for a few hours. Will, you can set up the air mattress in your bedroom for Nico, though knowing you, you'll be the one sleeping on it." His mom stands, picking up her plate and placing it next to the sink.
"Sure thing, mama. Have a good session at the studio." Will chirps, and his mom leans down to press a kiss to the top of his head. When she passes by Nico, she reaches her hand out, an eyebrow raised. Nico turns his head, looking up at her, before nodding. She squeezes his shoulder, a warm smile on her face.
"I'm real happy that you decided to come out here for the weekend, Nico." She says gently. "You are always welcome here, even if it's a bit far out. 'Kay, darling?" Emotion flickers in Nico's eyes, but he nods, a small smile turning up his lips.
"Of course. Thank you for your hospitality." Nico says, his voice a little bit raspy, as it is when he's holding back some emotion. Will's mom smiles brightly at the pair of them before sweeping out of the room.
Will stands up, crossing over to the sink to start doing the dishes. After a few minutes, he can feel Nico awkwardly hovering. He can't help but laugh, ducking his head a little bit.
"I would say you can help dry, but we use a dishwasher. You can put them in the dishwasher though. It's pretty easy." Will says, and Nico nods, eyeing the dishwasher.
"We had one when I was a kid, but I wasn't allowed to touch it. But I get the basic idea." Nico sniffs, starting to put the dishes in the dishwasher carefully. Will hums, continuing to wash the dishes and hand them to Nico. They work in silence for a while, before Will gets a grin on his face.
He flicks his fingers at Nico, and the younger boy yelps in surprise, looking over at Will. Will just bursts into giggles at the expression on Nico's face. "I'm real sorry, Neeks. I just couldn't help m'self." Nico just shakes his head, flicking a few water drops back at him.
"You know, your accent has gotten even thicker. Your mom's is really thick." Will shrugs.
"It always happens when I'm around people from Texas. You know Whitney?" Nico shakes his head. "She's one of Malcolm and Annabeth's siblings. Anyway, she's from 'roundbout… El Paso, I think? So she brings out my accent a lot. I don't see her much, only when I'm yellin' at Anteros for something or rather." Nico snorts.
"You have to do that a lot, don't you?" He asks, and Will laughs, handing Nico another plate.
"Not really as much anymore. We got in a big fight right 'round December, that kinda patched up most of it." Nico hums.
"Hard to imagine you fighting with anyone." Nico says, and Will chuckles.
"Best believe, sunshine, I can be a real catty person in a fight. I do not take the moral high ground." Nico bumps Will with his shoulder, his brown eyes glimmering.
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." He says, and Will just grins at him.
This feels downright domestic, doing the dishes with Nico. Will can't help the swell of emotions in his chest.
This just feels right. Being with Nico feels right.
"Where are we going tomorrow?" Nico asks, and Will snaps out of his daydreaming.
"That's gon' be a surprise, Neeks. I don't share my secrets." Nico honest to god pouts, looking up at Will, and Will has to steady himself against the counter to keep his knees from buckling. Damn it. Nico's too good at this. "I mean it, Neeks. I'm gonna surprise you. Don't do the puppy dog eyes thing, it's working too much."
"Damn." Nico says, and Will can't help but flick water at him again. "Thought it would actually get you. Sohee's been teaching me." Will groans.
"Gods, not her! She's a menace, do not listen to her." He whines, and Nico laughs, the sound quiet but music to Will's ears.
"So what I'm hearing is listen to Sohee more, got it." He says, and Will feels like banging his head against the counter.
"This is so bad for my heart, Neeks, I mean it!"
"Suck it up Solace, you wanted me to get along with your siblings, this is what you get!"
Oh he is so screwed.
