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There was something about rose colored cheeks against olive skin that made Will lean out his doorway like the grass to the sun. It was nighttime and almost a week after they had gotten drunk on their lips, brushed fingers through each others hair and Nico had realized he “forgot” his scarf at Will’s cabin. It was cold outside, his jacket collar popped up, shoulders hunched to fight off the chill, and he sniffed to emphasis the point. “Can I, uh… can I come in?” Nico asked, looking past Will, “To, ah… to get my scarf?”
The blond blinked slowly, taking in the scene before him, before nodding and stepping aside. “Yeah, yeah, of course, Nico; you’re always welcome.” He placed his hand on the small of the Italian’s back as he came in, not to hurry him, but just to make their time together seem longer. The scarf was waiting on the end of the bed, folded neatly, and Will had enjoyed the happiness it brought--really wallowed in it--because it was a guarantee he would see his boyfriend again.
Nico weighed it in his hands, looking down, and clicking his tongue before he finally said, “Well, ah, thanks. It seems to all be here… I guess I’ll be…” His head gestured towards the door for a moment, all the eyes of curious Apollo children on him as he moved towards the exit. They were not afraid of Nico like they once were; it was just a little tense, that’s all. They didn’t know what they could and couldn’t say without upsetting Will or Nico and, while making their brother turn red was an absolute delight, they were trying to stay up later than usual. In a moment of brilliance though, a younger camper piped up to say, “Say, Will, why don’t you walk Nico back to his cabin? It’s pretty late.”
“And who will watch you?” Will countered, already suspicious. He was too dense to understand the circumstances of romance being presented before him; plus, he wasn’t the type to forget his responsibilities.
“I’ll watch them, dumbass,” Kayla snarked from her bed, her combat boots pressed against the wall as she flipped through a comic book. “Walk your boyfriend back to his cabin like a fucking gentleman.”
“Language,” Will admonished with a huff as he grabbed his coat off the hook. There was no use in arguing when it was an entire cabin against him, but he wasn’t fooled; he knew they were trying to get something. “Lights better be out when I get back.” He quickly forgot his annoyance though when he saw the way Nico was shyly shuffling his feet by the door, mouth covered by his oversized scarf. “Well, let’s head out, Neeks.” Again, he placed his hand on the small of his boyfriend’s back as he steered him out the room.
With all the gentleness he was capable of, the blond closed the door behind them before offering his hand. “Oh, a hand? You really are a gentleman,” Nico teased as their fingers entwined. Their steps were soft on frozen Earth, silence settling between them as comfortable as snow on an open field.
A hop and a skip away from the Italian’s cabin was fine when they were bickering, but, now, when it was night, just past curfew, it felt too short. They were standing at the end of the staircase leading up to a black door for just an awkward moment then suddenly, like the cat who caught the canary, Nico smiled and said, “Hey, follow me…” and without waiting for an answer, he pulled the golden child through a shadow.
Blinking away the darkness, Will realized, “What…? Neeks, why did you take me back to the Apollo cabin?”
“Well, I just thought the walk was so great the first time that we should just--I don’t know--do it again?” There was laughter and teasing decorating Nico’s being, from the way he tilted on his heels to his eyes to his voice echoing between them. At first, Will was too stunned to speak then, like a floodgate, he was leaning over in a fit of giggles from absurdity and sweetness. Their laughter quickly earned them an angry tapping on the window from Kayla as she glared before placing a finger over her lips.
This time, Will decided they were going to take it extra slow, made Nico stop to crunch the frozen ground and to talk about the weather pattern. It wasn’t often they got snow in Camp Half-Blood--this was special for them--really, it created a beautiful atmosphere for Saturnalia. They held hands like tender curiosity, exploring what they knew like you did when you found out a house in your hometown has always been haunted; something you passed everyday and then one day became special. When Nico began sniffling more consistently though, Will decided it was time for them to really head inside. “No tricks this time,” he warned as he open the cabin door.
It was cold inside too, but that’s how his boyfriend liked it and under his mountain of blankets the older boy wasn’t sure the chill made a difference. “Are you tired?” Nico asked, pulling off his jacket and wiping his nose on the back of his hand.
“A little, yeah, but I--”
“Do you want to stay for a little then?” Nico ventured, brave at first then filtering into a shy kid. “I could, ah… I have hot chocolate. It’s pretty cold out there.”
“That sounds great.” Will shrugged off his jacket to show his dedication, placed it on his official hook and moved towards the small kitchen. It was essentially a mini-fridge, a microwave, and a hot plate on top of a tiny counter that held pots and dry foods under it. This was an easy compromise with Chiron, because he understood that sometimes it was hard to go outside. He knew there were days where the wind couldn’t tickle your lungs to fill them with the exact amount of air for a hearty laugh, so, instead, he said it was okay to grow in the way you needed. He would tell Nico how the gentle warfare of the mind was not uncommon among heroes and while the young man didn’t agree he was a hero, he didn’t mind the privacy.
“How’s your Dad? You saw him recently, right?” Will asked.
“Oh, yeah, yeah… Hell is not so bad,” Nico joked while grabbing the milk and chocolate. “They pretty much let you do whatever. How’s the infirmary?”
“The infirmary?” Will leaned forward with a wide smile like the cat who caught the canary. “It’s not so bad. When you’re in charge, they pretty much let you do whatever.”
“Tell me, Will,” Nico faux snipped, not bothering to turn around, “Before me, were people falling all over you for your humor?”
“Oh, sure, hun, but you were the only one to fall so hard for it.”
“I fell so hard I had to spend three days in the infirmary.” Nico shook his head with a small smile, scarf untangling from around his neck as he began melting the chocolate in warm milk. They were quiet again; not even the Harpies outside made a peep. He wished it would take all night to make this drink so he had a reason to keep Will here. He wished Will would come behind him, hug him by the waist, and kiss his neck. He wished the weight shifting was on the bed was because someone wanted a better look at him; instead of saying that though, he evenly split up the warm drinks. “It’s done,” he spoke softly as he brought the cups over. The black cup was Will’s and Nico had the yellow cup, they knew this just like they knew Will would shift his body in way Nico could lean his weight into him while he had his back against the wall.
“It’s good,” Will hummed.
“You haven’t even had any,” Nico huffed as he balanced the cups before getting comfortable.
“I know it’s good,” He replied as he took one hand for the cup and the other to wrap around his boyfriend’s waist. He pressed his nose into black hair to smell something like generic shampoo--it was clean though and all Nico. It didn’t last though because dark strands moved to brush against Will’s neck and he felt the weight of a tired head. “Promise me something, Nico.”
“What?” The younger boy hummed, closing his eyes and already smiling with anticipation.
“Promise me you will forget your scarf at my cabin more often.”
“I promise.”