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He wanted the nightmares to stop.
Every night he would wake up the same way, panting and gasping for breath, his hair and clothes sticking to his skin from sweat, and he couldn’t get the images out of his head.
The monster attacks at every moment, the sheer exhaustion that he felt, making it even more real when he would wake up feeling like he’d just run ten miles.
Needless to say, Nico was exhausted.
He’d been having nightmares for the past few weeks, which meant that he hadn’t been getting the best sleep. But sleep wasn’t really one of Nico’s top concerns.
It had been months since Tartarus and the jar, he had been fine, yet why was he having nightmares so suddenly again?
Nico forced himself out of bed, trying to shake off the weariness that tugged at the back of his mind.
After taking a quick shower and getting dressed it was just time for breakfast. Nico debated skipping breakfast and trying to sleep a little more, anything to shake off the exhaustion. It wasn’t just normal exhaustion, it seeped into his bones, after nights of nightmares and waking up at awful times, Nico was tired of it. But if he skipped breakfast Will would have a fit.
So, reluctantly he dragged himself out to the dining pavilion and plopped himself down next to Will at the Apollo table.
“Well good morning to you Sunshine,” Will greeted, looking Nico up and down and taking in his overall appearance, “you look like crap.”
“Thanks, I feel like crap,” Nico yawned. He didn’t really have much of an appetite but he got some foot anyway. Not very much, a couple fruits and some toast.
“Are you okay?” Will asked, taking a small drink of his orange juice.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just didn’t sleep well last night.”
“You said that yesterday, and the day before. Nico are you having trouble sleeping?”
Leave it to the observant doctor boyfriend to point out Nico’s troubles right away. Nico sighed. “No, I can fall asleep just fine.”
Nico could practically see the gears turning in Will’s brain.
“Have you been having nightmares?”
“Mhm,” Nico hummed, taking a bite of his toast so he could at least say that he ate something .
“Are they about—“ Will trailed off, obviously not wanting to say it out loud.
Nico looked over at Will’s concerned face. Nico was sure that he probably looked like the living dead right now.
“Sometimes,” Nico turned back to his place, squeezing Will’s hand, “sometimes about the jar. Different things, still exhausting.”
“Oh, I see.” Will scratched his chin and stared down at his breakfast plate. He had some eggs—sunny side up—toast and fruit. Not much different than what Nico had.
“Do you know what’s causing them?”
Nico shrugged, he wanted to go back to his cabin and curl up under the covers and fall into a dreamless sleep, but he knew that wouldn’t happen anytime soon.
Will didn’t say anything for a while, Nico probably would have fallen asleep sitting at the table if it weren’t for the noise around them in the pavilion.
“Maybe I could sleep with you tonight.”
Nico had been taking a drink at that moment and promptly choked on it. It took Will a moment to process it (and a few very distasteful looks from Kayla) before he blushed a dark scarlet and started to splutter.
“N-No that’s not—I didn’t mean it like… I meant like—“ Will ran his hands through his hair trying to collect his thoughts, “like in the same bed… sleeping...not like—you know.”
“Yeah,” Nico coughed, wiping his chin with the back of his hand, “in the same bed, no funny business going on.”
Will rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, “I mean like… it seems to work for Percy and Annabeth, having someone to be there for you while you sleep. I’d want to be there for you.”
“Is the respectful rule follower Will Solace planning to sneak out of his cabin after curfew? ” Kayla asked playfully.
“Shh,” Will hissed, “I wouldn’t be sneaking out after curfew, it could just be… a checkup that lasted a bit too long and we lost track of time.”
“That doesn’t make it sound less suspicious at all,” Kayla raised one eyebrow.
“Sounds like a plan, I can get myself hurt if you want to make it more realistic.” Nico agreed, pushing around a couple grapes with his fork.
“No, absolutely not do I want you getting hurt.”
“Mm, sure…” Nico’s eyes fluttered closed for a few seconds before he sat upright again. Will watched his boyfriend with curiosity.
“You know I don’t think you can make it until night time tonight,” Will observed.
“Probably not,” Nico rubbed his eyes and blinked a couple times.
Will pushed his eggs around with a fork, “you know a nap wouldn’t really hurt right about now.”
“It’s kinda early in the day for a nap,” Nico explained.
“That doesn’t matter, as long as you’re okay with it.”
“I just want to sleep without waking up an hour later,” Nico mumbled.
“Then it’s settled!” Nico flinched at Will’s sudden outburst, Will muttered an apology and stood up, taking Will with him.
“What about the rest of the day?” Nico asked.
“Well, I say that you need to get some sleep, Doctor’s orders,” Will insisted, squeezing Nico’s hand reassuringly.
Nico smiles softly and let Will drag him to the hades cabin.
Will climbed into bed first, being no stranger to the Hades cabin or Nico’s bed.
Immediately Nico sighed and curled up in Will’s arm, burying his face in Will’s chest. Nico was asleep in seconds.
At first everything was going okay, then the nightmare started.
He was back in the jar, though, Will was with him this time. Nico would be able to survive a few days on his own in the jar, but Will wouldn’t.
Nico had to watch as his boyfriend slowly suffocated, fear filling his expression before the light in his eyes started to die. Nico cried harder than he’d admit, until he felt a strong pair of arms shaking him awake.
“Nico, Dear, it was only a dream, you’re okay,” Will whispered, his hands still resting on Nico’s shoulders as Nico struggled to pull himself out of the dream.
“Will?” Nico choked, his breath hitched.
“I’m right here, I’ll always be here,” will rubbed Nico’s arms and coaxed him into a sitting position.
“You’re okay,” Nico breathed, burying his face back into Will’s chest, listening to Will’s steady heartbeat.
“I’m okay Nico, are you okay?” Will didn’t let go of Nico, or even try to push him away.
“The jar…” Nico whispered, “you were… I couldn’t.”
“Shh, it’s okay. I’m here and you’re here, we’re both very much alive. You can sense death, so you know we’re both perfectly okay.”
Nico nodded into Will’s chest, as his heartbeat slowly started to calm down, Nico felt his eyes grow heavy, he fell back asleep listening to Will’s soft breathing and his steady heartbeat.
There were no dreams after that.
Will continued to make excuses as to why he was sleeping in the Hades cabin and why he needed to “check up” on Nico so much.
Chiron didn’t seem too convinced by all the reasons, but at least he didn’t do anything about it.
And each night, Nico curled up in Will’s arms and the nightmares stayed away.