Chapter Text
The first day was the worst. Well, at least the beginning was. Will had shoved him down onto a bed and asked him a bunch of personal questions that he claimed were ‘medical’. And he was smiling like an idiot the whole time, which Nico couldn’t even fathom why.
“What am I even supposed to do in here for three days? There isn’t even a tv.” Not that Nico did much tv watching but that wasn’t really the point.
Will dug something out of his pocket and tossed it to him. Nico caught it and was surprised to find that it was a cell phone. One of those high end smart phones to be more exact.
“Where did you even-“
“Don’t ask. All you need to know is that the Hermes cabin is very resourceful.”
Nico couldn’t argue with that. He flipped the phone over and scowled when he saw the black cover case with a bejeweled pink skull and bones. “Is this supposed to be your idea of a joke?”
Will tried unsuccessfully to hide his snickering. “Hey, don’t look at me. This is what the Stoll brother gave me. Personally, I think it’s cute.”
“Screw you.”
“Aww, don’t be like that! Look,” Will plopped down on the bed and took the phone from his hands. He pushed several buttons and took him to the app screen. “I hooked you up with all the coolest apps. See? Here’s Flappy Bird, Fruit Ninja, oh-and even Five Nights At Freddys.”
Nico stared at Will like he was crazy. He’d never heard of any of those things. Well, to be fair he hadn’t heard of most modern things but still.
Will’s mouth had formed a perfect ‘O’ by this point. “We need to move you into the modern world, Death boy.”
“Don’t call me-“
Will flapped his hand in a ‘yeah yeah heard it all before’ motion. He kept scrolling through the screens until he came to one app that had a yellow screen with a ghost on it. Nico was about to comment on Will’s awful sense of humor but he opened the app and snapped a picture.
“Hey!”
Will smiled and took his finger, drawing three red whiskers on each of Nico’s cheeks. He wrote underneath ‘someone’s a happy patient’ and clicked the send button.
“Who did you send that to?!”
“Hazel. And Reyna. And all the rest of your friends. I went ahead and put them all in your contact list. You can go ahead and thank me now.”
“So this is what you plan to do for the next three days? Annoy the shit out of me?”
Will huffed and plopped the phone back into his hands. “Who else am I supposed to talk to in here? Everyone is either too busy trying to save patients or trying not to die. It gets pretty morbid.” He sniffed. “So yeah, you’re my saving grace.”
Nico was shocked. He, Nico di Angelo, the person who could summon legions of the undead be someone’s savior? If Will didn’t look so serious he would’ve accused him of joking. Something inside of Nico’s stomach decided to flutter in that moment and his face was getting extremely hot. He must be getting a fever. Yeah, that must be it.
“Anyway,” Will hopped up off the bed and stretched. “I have to go make the rounds. So stay here and be a good little patient. And no underworldly stuff, either! Or there will be dire consequences.”
Nico must’ve had a weird look on his face because Will just doubled over and laughed. “You don’t want me to do my Taxi Cab Whistle again do you?”
When Nico fervently shook his head, Will winked at him and went out the door. “Just you wait sunshine! Over these next three days, I’m going to make you love me.”
Nico’s white face went absolutely red.
***
While scrolling through his new phone’s contact list, Will hadn’t lied. He had included absolutely everyone. His name was at the very top, which Nico didn’t know if that was intentional or not. Then there was Hazel, Jason, Reyna, Piper, Frank, Annabeth, some campers that he had never heard of before, Lou Ellen, Dakota, Couch Hedge (which Nico couldn’t even imagine what they would talk about.) And at the very, very bottom was Percy Jackson. Which again, left Nico wondering if that was intentional.
When Nico now thought about Percy, he didn’t get that soul churning sadness that he would usually have. Maybe the intense battle had snapped him out of his unrequited crush or maybe the bond that he’d developed with Reyna. Maybe her strength had lingered in him and had given him the courage to go and confess his feelings. But Nico couldn’t shake the feeling it was something else. Either way, it was relieving because he could finally look at Percy and Annabeth without wanting to jump back into the depths of Tartarus.
At about 2:30 he received his first text.
Will Solace@2:30
How ya doin sunshine?
Nico didn’t know if he hated Deathboy or sunshine more.
Nico di Angelo@2:31
Bored out of my skull. Thinking of summoning Jules-Albert Then at least I could stare at something other than these horrid pastel walls
Will Solace@2:32
Ok 1. Who is Jules-Albert? 2. I already told you no underworld stuff do you want to be punished?! 3. If you wanted something cute to look at you should’ve just asked.
Incoming Image
A picture of Will pretending to choke filled Nico’s screen. Even though his eyes were scrunched and his tongue was sticking out at an odd angle, Nico couldn’t help but find his sandy blonde hair and-were those dimples?-incredibly endearing. The longer he stared at it, the more his cheeks hurt. Then he realized he was actually smiling. Damn. This was a weird day.
Will Solace@2:35
Ok, but seriously who is Jules-Albert?
Nico di Angelo@2:37
My zombie chauffeur. Gift from Dad.
Will Solace@2:36
As cool as that is and trust me we WILL BE DISCUSSING THAT LATER no summoning dead guys
After Nico had promised not to summon any French zombies, Will sent him a picture of him grinning ear to ear with him flashing the camera a thumbs up. He oddly felt kind of bad that Will was the only one sending pictures so he sent one back where, he at least, thought he was half way smiling.
At around 3:00 Reyna came to visit him. She smiled when she saw him and without even a second thought he had wrapped his arms around her. She reciprocated warmly and hugged him fiercely. He remembered the days when he used to hug Bianca like this. The same tight, never let anything bad happen to you, don’t worry everything will be ok, type of hugs. When they pulled away he felt strangely at ease.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, embarrassed.
“It’s ok, Nico. I wanted to come see how you were doing. You did a lot, you know? You should be very proud.”
He twisted the skull ring on his finger nervously. “Not really. A lot of people are far worse off than me. I shouldn’t even be in here. I’m just wasting space.”
Reyna had a sad look on her face when he said those last words. Without thinking, she reached up and tucked a stray piece of hair behind his ear. “Don’t say that. Without you, the Athena Parthenos would never have made it here. The camps would have gone to war. You did a very brave thing and put yourself in serious danger. I consider you a true Roman, Nico di Angelo.”
He-he didn’t even know how to process those words. How could someone like him be brave? Be a hero? That role was for other demigods, like Jason or Percy. He was just someone who lived in the shadows. And that was what he did. That wasn’t bravery. “I-I think you’re mistaken.” He told her.
“I actually should confess something to you.” She looked guilty.
“What?”
“When we shadow-traveled, I ended up feeling a lot of your heartbreak, your suffering. You-you’ve been through so much for just one person. It honestly reminded me of myself. I want you to know you don’t have to face things alone anymore.”
“What do you mean you saw my suffering?”
Her face told him everything. So she had seen-oh….His face was flaming by that point. So she knew his deepest secrets now.
“And you don’t hate me?”
Reyna half laughed, half sighed. She wrapped him in another hug. “I already told you I don’t. Nico, you accepted me when I told you about my darkest secret. Why wouldn’t I do the same?”
“Maybe because most people don’t,” he mumbled.
“Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano is no ordinary person.” Wasn’t that the understatement of the year? “I’ve already informed the other campers that you are officially an honorary Roman and you will have full honors at the camp. If you so choose, you will always have a place there.”
Again Nico had no idea what to say to that so he just mumbled a ‘thank you’. If Reyna sensed his embarrassment she didn’t let on, which he was incredibly thankful for. She got up to go and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I must go now. But please get some rest now. You need it.”
“Y-yeah. U-m..thanks.”
She smiled and went out of the infirmary.
***
Nico’s stomach felt like it was going to collapse in on itself any minute. He was about to get up and try to go find some food when Will came staggering in with an enormous haul. Everything from Doritos, Little Debbie snack cakes, Skittles, Cheetos, Oreos, Sour Cream and Chedder Lays chips, and a six pack of Mountain Dew was thrown onto the bed.
“And here I was thinking you weren’t going to feed me.”
Will laughed nervously and ruffled the back of his head. “Yeah, sorry about that.” He cleared a space on the bed and plopped down in front of Nico. He grabbed a red bag and tore it open, offering it to him. Nico hurriedly grabbed a handful of Bugles and stuffed them into his mouth. Never had anything tasted so good.
“So how’s my patient been today?” Will’s hand now resembled that of a wild Harpy. He stuck his thumb and forefinger into his mouth sucking up the treat. “What you’ve never done this?”
Nico shook his head.
Will just laughed at him. “I used to do this all the time when I was a kid. This is the only way you can eat these things.” He stuck the rest of his fingers in front of Nico’s mouth. “Go ahead and try. Don’t worry, I washed my hands.”
As if that were the problem! But Nico found himself sucking on the blonde’s finger anyway, slurping the treat into his mouth and tasting the saltiness. Will pulled his hand away and licked the remaining mess away. The same finger that Nico had just… He hurriedly looked away and jammed a Little Debbie snack into his mouth.
“You should try these, too.” Will passed him a brightly colored box in a language he couldn’t understand. “I’m still trying to figure out how the Hermes kids get all this foreign stuff.” His calloused fingers brushed against Nico’s as he took the candy. A small jolt went up the back of his spine. Apollo kids really were warm…Then he realized that’s because both of his hands were incased in Will’s firm grip.
“What are you doing?!” He tried to jerk away but Will, stubborn as always, held fast.
“You have a fever.”
“Do not. You’re just making that up so I’ll be stuck here.”
Will snorted. “Don’t flatter yourself, sunshine. You are waaay to warm for it to be normal. Usually you’re cold as ice.”
How would you know that? Nico thought to himself. Will pressed the back of his hand against Nico’s forehead. His touch felt nice, like sitting next to a space heater during winter or being outside in the warm sun. Hands traveled down to his cheek and caressed them lightly. Nico felt his breath hitch lightly. Every nerve in his body felt like it was fire and Will was so close…He really was tan. Not one of those leathery tans, either. A healthy brown glow that showed he spent much time out in the sun. His hair was the same color as Jason’s but more unruly and all over the place. Nico noted that his nose seemed slightly slanted like it had been broken and hadn’t set right.
“You like staring at my face?” Will smirked up at him. Immediately whatever had been holding them together broke and Nico withdrew himself.
“Not a chance,” he pouted. “Just wondering why they would let someone like you in here.”
Will pretended to be hurt, putting his hand to his heart and gasping. “I’m the best healer around here, thank you very much.”
Nico snorted.
“Ok, ok. Just for that, I won’t bring you a pudding cup at breakfast tomorrow. You’ll just get crappy cherry jello.”
“Maybe I don’t want your pudding cup,” Nico countered.
Will cocked an eyebrow at him. He snatched the cream pie, that Nico was about to eat, out of his hands. “Hey!”
“Then you don’t get this, either.”
Nico flung himself out of the bed and tried to grab at the stolen food but Will danced away, laughing like a wood nymph. He scowled and started lobbing snack cakes at his head.
“You. Are. So. Childish!” One of the pastries managed to hit its target, smearing white cream all over Will’s cheek and nose. He looked so ridiculous standing there gawking at Nico with an oatmeal pie stuck to him that Nico did the unthinkable: he laughed. Not just any laugh. A doubling over, clenching the sides sort of laugh. He clutched at his mouth to try and hold in the giggles but they just kept bursting forth one after the other. When he stood up gasping for air, he found that he couldn’t see Will through the tears in his eyes. He wipes them with the back of his hand and tries to control the little hiccups coming out of his mouth.
After what seemed like forever, he managed to control himself. Will was staring at him like he had lost his mind. He grabs a spare blanket off the bed and drapes it across his shoulders. “You must really be sick if you’re laughing like this.” Will was so close now that Nico could feel the natural heat that radiated off of him. His brain was screaming at him to withdraw, to run away like he always did from physical touching. However, the rest of his body wanted to nestle against this amazing warmth and just….sleep. He hadn’t even realized how exhausted he was until just now. Will’s eyes were half lidded, almost lust filled. For a split second they were so close that Nico thought he would close the gap completely. But Will just let out a soft laugh and said, “Not that it’s a bad thing to hear you laugh. Almost as good as the music in the Apollo cabin.”
Nico involuntary blushed. He tried to think of some snarky comeback to something so cheesy-were all kids of Apollo this bad? But his brain had short-circuited and all he could muster was a breathy, “Uh.”
“You look exhausted, sunshine. Take a nap. Doctor’s orders.”
Usually Nico had no problem with falling asleep but ever since the battle he had the most awful case of insomnia. Every time he tried to close his eyes they were filled with the faces of Octavian, Bryce, and even Leo. Will seemed to sense his unease. He pulled out his phone and a pair of headphones, handing one of the ear buds to Nico.
“Usually music helps me sleep.”
Nico nodded and slipped in one of the buds. Instantly his entire body was wrapped in the pleasantness of a gentle melody and he could feel himself falling asleep with his eyes filled with the sight of Will’s face.
***
When Nico felt himself slipping back into the realm of consciousness, he experienced a feeling he hadn’t in a long time. Safety. He opened his eyes and was greeted with the sight of Will’s green hospital scrubs.
“Hey, sleepyhead. You know you almost snored my ear off?”
Nico looked up and found Will grinning down at him. His cheek was smushed up against part of Will's upper arm. They were tucked at an odd angle. Nico's head leaning against half of Will's shoulder. Will's other arm was dangerously close to his hip bone; his fingers grazing gently against his stomach where his t-shirt had rolled up. Had he actually...? “Uh…how long was I asleep?”
“About seven hours. The sun’s about to come up outside.”
Seven hours?! Then that meant… Without warning, Nico sprang out of the bed and ran out of the room. He could feel Will calling after him but he could barely hear him over the ringing in his ears. His heart felt like it was about to come out of his chest and he just wanted to get as far away from that room as possible. He kept running until he ran into something. Or someone.
Smack dab into Percy Jackson.