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“Nico!”
“Hey Will,” Nico began sheepishly, sitting himself down on one of the infirmary stretchers.”
“What in the name of Jupiter have you done this time?” Will sighed heavily, making his way over to one of the cabinets to retrieve a medical kit.
“You know how I finally got my camp tattoo…”
“Yeah…”
“I may have gotten it infected by falling in the mud. And by falling in the mud I mean wading through it working in the Underworld.”
“Oh for the love of gods,” Will sighed in exasperation, “let me see it.”
Nico rolled up his sleeves to reveal the new tattoo, and sure enough, it was infected. It was red and hot to touch, swollen, and with a light squeeze, the burned welts opened and oozed puss and blood, black and yellowing flesh just below the swelling revealing itself with a pungent odor. Nico turned pale at the sight. “Is it bad?”
“Well,” Will began, tilting his head, “I mean it’s not good. I’ll have to cut away infected and necrotic tissue and stitch it, so you’ll probably lose the mark beyond scars.”
“So I’ll lose the tattoo?”
“Yep. You will.”
“Then back off, I stayed a year at camp, I earned this,” Nico whined, and Will folded his arms stubbornly.
“Pluto isn’t a planet,” Will said with a smirk.
“Viva la Pluto, fuck you,” Nico snarled in response.
Will chuckled to himself, looking Nico up and down. “I reckon you owe me a week in the infirmary at least.”
“I have a legion to run,” Nico retorted, “unlike you, in fifth legion, and even then you’re the runt of the litter, Solace!”
“If anyone’s the runt of the litter it’s you, di Angelo. And that’s because you’re just a very mean kitty!” Will stuck his tongue out and Nico rolled his eyes with a scoff.
“Then don’t try to pet me because I bite.”
“Babey,” Will beamed, and Nico folded his arms.
“You’re a jerk, Solace.” Will giggled and glowed, and Nico found himself blushing puce and hiding a smile. “Dammit, you’re an adorable jerk,” he amended, and Will beamed.
“Are you gonna let me treat this? I know it sucks that I’ll have to remove most of the tattoo, but you’ll have it in scars instead and that’s pretty cool!” Nico sighed and held his arm out for Will to heal, and before he knew it, he was being stabbed violently with a needle and promptly passed out.
When he came round again, Will had already bandaged his arm and he was just taking his gloves off. “Why’d you do that to me,” Nico groaned, and Will giggled.
“Standard procedure. I’ve given you some antibiotics to take, they’re in your bag, and you’ll have to avoid pretty much everything, especially the baths. And you gotta not get dirt in the wounds. And if you so much as feel hot, you gotta come straight back here.”
“I thought you wanted me to stay for a week,” Nico sarked, and Will lightly elbowed his shoulder.
“I also know that if I do that you’ll bite the shit out of me every time I feed you, because you’ve never learned not to bite the hand that feeds you.”
“You’re annoying,” Nico huffed, then smiled and reached for Will’s hand, “although I’m kinda glad I have an excuse to avoid the baths.”
“I thought you’d enjoy the baths,” Will teased, “all the naked muscly men.”
“Ew, gods no,” Nico protested with a laugh, “all the guys who have actually gotten through puberty are absolute animals and I swear I always see the Mars boys walk out of the bathrooms without washing their hands. I know I’m the ambassador to Pluto, and I have to be polite when on official business, but every time they ask me to shake their hands, I cringe.”
“Well I can assure you I always wash my hands, Nico.” Will huffed a laugh, gesturing to the sterile setting around them.
“Can I get going now?”
“You can,” Will smiled, “but I think you forgot we’re down to visit the Greeks.”
“Oh for the love of the gods please say sike,” Nico groaned, and Will shrugged in agreement. “At least I get to see my sister I guess,” Nico sighed, “and a break from the son of Neptune trying to ask me awkward questions about literally every interaction and my feelings. I’m allergic to feelings. That’s the real reason I’m sick, you made me catch feelings, Solace!”
“Well,” Will laughed, leaning down to kiss his forehead, “I love you too.”
“You’re annoying, you know that? Maybe I should leave you with the Greeks.”
“You leave me with the greeks and I’ll probably come back making you flower crowns.”
“Right, because you totally don’t do that anyway,” Nico chuckled, and Will beamed and glowed. “You’d probably fit in with them.”
“I’m not exactly the most Roman, am I,” Will laughed, and Nico shook his head with a smile. “I feel like I can do more at this camp, though. Also you’re here and you’re hot so who can blame me for staying, really?” Nico laughed, and Will giggled, leaning forwards to capture his lips in a kiss.