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“I’m sorry, what?” Nico was barely listening to his half-sister, his mind wandering over the rebuilding projects both Camp Half Blood and Camp Jupiter had accomplished in the past 6 weeks. Camp Jupiter definitely fared better in the War with Gaea. That’s not to say Leo doesn't knows how to build heavy artillery; he didn’t mean to set half the camp ablaze.
Hazel shook her head. “It wasn’t that important anyway. Thinking about your dreamboat back east?”
“No!” said Nico. Although it had been the truth, he said it too fast and with too much insistence that not even Reyna’s dogs would be completely convinced. Hazel smiled and Nico allowed his walls to slide down ever so slightly. It was something he was working on.
“Will and I…have a kind of understanding,” said Nico. He shoved his hands in his pockets, allowing Hazel to lead them through the newly bricked roadways. Hazel listened, absently pointing at new additions to buildings. “We, well I, don’t really know how to court, er, date and I know it’s ok in this time but, I don’t know, it just feels weird, kissing in public. So yeah, Will’s ok with us taking it slow and seeing if it works before, you know, we start doing couple-y things. Does that make sense?”
Hazel responded by fishing his hand out of his jacket and entwining her fingers in his.
“I think it’s sweet,” said Hazel. “I’m no daughter of Venus, but I’m already impressed that Will listens to your boundaries. You told me how hard it was for you to come out but in a way, I think you are blessed that you have a chance at finding love.” Hazel didn’t have to go into the history of what happened to LGBT people in their time, they both knew thanks to a little thing called the internet. If Nico had stayed in Italy during World War Two, there was a solid chance that if he was outed, he would have been killed. Nico squeezed Hazel’s hand.
“Just do me a favor, don’t be afraid to open up,” said Hazel. Nico started to protest but Hazel cut him off. “I don’t count. I’m your sister. Just, try to show him how much you care for him without letting your fear of what other’s think get the better of you.”
Tartarus, Hazel could really sound like Bianca sometimes, Nico thought. He gave her a resigned nod and put it out of his mind. They enjoyed the California sun as they were greeted by people who knew them, but they had no idea who they were in return. Hazel did a much better job at pretending she knew them, with an enthusiastic wave and a generic question about their day was going. Nico just gave them what Leo had told him was the ‘up nod’, a sign of mutual respect among teenage boys. It seemed to be the only useful thing Leo told him. He could actually apply to everyday life and it didn’t involve mechanical parts.
Nico’s tour wound down and it was time for Nico to head back to Camp Half Blood. He accepted a tight hug from his sister, feeling comfort from her lavender scented soap that reminded him of Bianca.
“Take care of yourself,” he said into her shoulder.
“You too,” she replied, giving him another squeeze. Nico stepped into the shadow of the nearest building and dissolved into it.
Nico was getting rather good at shadow travel. After lugging the Athena Parthenos halfway across the world, solo travel across the country was a piece of ambrosia. Nico could do it in two jumps, but he found this one-light town in Wisconsin endearing, so he always made an extra pit stop. He enjoyed the sideways glance the bartender gave him before he hopped up on a stool and ordered a classic Coke-a-Cola. There was something about the glass bottles that just made it tasted better than the cans. He would chew on the straw, eavesdropping on the biker gang’s drama, before sliding a drachma across the counter. The bartender would pocket the gold and wish Nico safe travels in ancient Greek. The rest of the trip was a hop, skip and a jump.
Nico stepped out of the shadow of Thalia’s Tree and soaked in the feeling of relief that comes at the end of a journey. While it had been lunch time in California, it was now late afternoon in New York. And a good deal more humid.
Nico let his legs take him through camp out of habit, not any conscious decision and was not too surprised when he found himself in front of the Apollo cabin. Nico knocked before sticking his head in with a hesitent hello.
One of Will’s sisters, Mazie, Nico guessed (there were so many Apollo kids), lounged on her bunk, her tapped up ankle propped up on pillows. She raised her head high enough from the top of her book to see him. “Will is at the war games. He’ll be back after dinner,” was all she said before turning back to her book. At least that explained why the camp was so empty. Nico muttered his thanks but either Mazie didn’t hear or didn’t care so Nico went back to his cabin to take a nap. Just because he was better at shadow travel didn’t mean it wasn’t exhausting.
Nico flopped down on his bunk, letting out a huge sigh. How was it that the last month felt more exhausting than the fight with Gaea? Will would know. He would probably say something about adrenaline and PTS-whatever it was. Nico bent to unlace his boots when a large crash echoed throughout camp. Instincts kicked in as Nico rushed back outside, sword in hand.
A second crash of splintered wood and falling rubble came from the direction of the arena. Three small pings, like a rubber band being pulled to the breaking point before finally snapping under the pressure, spurred Nico towards the carnage. Three souls had just passed to the underworld. How many more would follow them? And was one of them Will?
Nico stopped the first group of campers he ran into. “What happened?” he asked through panting breath.
The campers, probably 10 or 11 if Nico had to guess, stared back into his terrifying face.
“Tell me!” Nico barked.
“We were trying out the Roman style war games in the arena and one of the trebuchets fell over. It took part of the arena down with it. We got out of there as fast we could,” said the camper. Nico sheathed his sword, knowing he could run faster without it throwing off his stride. He saw more and more campers run out with only a light dusting but as he got closer, he found more were limping or holding bloody limbs.
“Will!” Nico dogged through the stampede of campers to meet up with Will. “Will!” Nico shouted again and this time, Will looked up through the crowd. Will cracked a smile as Nico threw his arms around him. Nico breathed in his musk and felt the knot in his chest loosen. Will was still alive, soul as bright and full of life as ever. Nico pulled back and Will hissed.
“Careful,” said Will. Confused, Nico froze, not sure of what to do. Will nodded to his upper arm. Will’s sleeve had been ripped clean off and a large gash ran down his arm, smeared with blood .
Nico couldn’t hide the blind terror written on his face when seeing Will covered in blood. Will cupped Nico’s face with his hands.
“Hey, Nico, listen. It’s ok. It’s not as bad as it looks. I’m fine.” Nico nodded and Will brought him in for another hug. Nico ignored the cries and yells from around him. He had heard the screams of the damned and this was child’s play. But he wanted to block it out, block out everything except for Will and the knowledge that he was ok.
“I’m glad you’re ok. We can use your help. There are plenty of injuries but hopefully no casualties.”
“Three,” Nico whispered. Will blinked in disbelief.
“What?”
“Three. We’ve lost three so far. I don’t know who. It was right after the second crash that I felt it.” Will cursed quietly and Nico agreed. It was shit. Having survived the war with Gaea, to die in a training accident was just cruel, even by the Fates’ standard.
“Come on,” said Will. “Come with me back to the Apollo cabin. I could use your help.” Nico, still shaken, kept pace with Will.
Campers flocked to their respective cabins in times of crisis, finding solace with their brothers and sisters. Even more so to the Apollo cabin, as they were the resident healers. Will took one look at the muddled mess of people and sighed. And Nico jumped as Will gave out the loudest dog whistle he had ever heard. Ms. O’Leary could probably hear it all the way in Tartarus.
“Listen up, people! As Head Counselor of Cabin Seven, I am in charge of medical care. If you are injured go wait outside the Big House, we are not equipped to treat you here. Apollo kids, listen up. Your tasks will be assigned based on your beads. First beads, you are our runners and gophers. You will report to Nico who will report to me.” Will placed a hand firmly on Nico’s shoulder before continuing.
“Second beads with medical training, you’re on scut. Dress wounds when third years are busy, give out nectar and ambrosia to those who need it. Check temperatures, blood pressure, basic stuff before they get into the Big House. If you know how to do a basic neuro test, partner up with someone who doesn't and teach them. You report to Mike.” Mike, a fourth year, waved his hand and started herding the second years away.
“Non-med second beads are going to help with the search party. Aries Cabin will be heading that up so you just do as they say and bring anyone back on a stretcher ASAP. I don’t care if it’s a paper cut, get them back to the Big House like a manticore is hot on your tail. Everyone else who has medical magic, you will be spit into two groups. Half of you will be taking care of the more complicated injuries inside the Big House with me. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and don’t take on more than you can handle. Don’t increase our patient count because you wanted to prove something. The other half will heal smaller injuries outside and you will report to Catlin.” Catlin waved.
“Non-medic third years and up, your doing triage and assisting anyone with medical training. You will report to Mazie.” Mazie, who had put down her book to see what the commotion was, waived her crutches before swinging her way to the Big House. Nico, puzzled, leaned over to Will.
“If Mazie is a daughter of the god of medicine, why dose she have a bum foot?” Nico whispered.
“She always has a foot related injury before any type of strenuous activity. I’ve given up fighting her over it.”
Will led the small band of campers to the Big House. Some campers were already there, fighting over who should get treated first, ignoring the camper next to them about to pass out from blood loss. It took a few minutes for Will to get the Apollo kids organized and set his platoon leaders working. Only the severe injuries made it into the Big House, since there was limited space.
And so campers lined up on the porch getting wounds sterilized and wrapped. Spry first years darted back and forth, running errands and fetching things. Nico imagined being in charge of the gophers would be easy. If someone ask for something to do, he would just shoo them away and tell them to find someone who needed help. What he ended up doing, was playing gopher exclusively for Will. But working with Will could be ... challenging.
“Give me the Inside Out Tape,” Will asked when they first entered the Big House, patients waiting for them on all the available beds.
“The …what?”
“Can someone throw me some Inside Out?” Will shouted and a long, thin, yellow rectangular box whizzed through the air. Will caught it and immediately passed it to Nico. “Rip a piece off for me and wrap it around my arm.”
Nico looked down at the long box and opened it. A tube of plastic wrap lay inside. Nico pulled a piece with a satisfying vvvvvvvp.
“Isn’t this suppose to be used on food?” Nico asked, following Will’s directions about not being too tight or too loose.
“Well, in the world of field medicine, when your insides are on your outsides, you wrap them up with this,” said Will pointing at the box. “Plus calling it an Inside Out keeps the younger campers from freaking out that someone’s organs are exposed.” Nico felt slightly uneasy with it but happy to see Will still had enough energy to muster a joke.
“Yeah, gotta keep your meat fresh,” said Nico. Will flushed pink and Nico had no idea why he was making that stupid face. Nico wrapped the plastic around Will’s arm several times, securing a wade of gauze over the gash.
“Thanks,” said Will a faint smile flashed before ‘Cabin Leader’ face took over. “Find a room divider or something to separate the bad cases from the really bad cases.”
“And where will we put the dead?” said Nico in a lower voice. Nico was not afraid of the question, but he was afraid that others, milling about getting organized and taking the first wave of campers, wouldn’t want to hear it, let alone consider the notion. Will dragged a hand over his face.
“Talk to Chiron about using the meeting room. It’s the next biggest room in the Big House and we can keep them away from prying eyes but I don’t want to catch him caught off guard.”
Nico did as he was asked, finding Chiron and getting permission to use the meeting room. Then it was just one task after another. Shooing first years into meaningful tasks, hunting down supplies, lecturing older kids about sharing. He tried to work his way back into the Big House, but there was so much to do and Will made him a point of contact while they were trying to get organized so it felt like everyone as looking for him. Finally he found himself aspire second and moved up the ramp. Campers were lined up by urgency. The minor cases, scrapes, cuts, bruises were dealt with outside. Broken bones, concussions and other more serious injuries were lined up in order of urgency.
As he walked up the ramp, something nagged at him. He felt the pull of a rubber band nearby, a thread about to break. Nico felt his hair stand on end as he scanned the crowed. There were so many campers crying and complaining about the pain. But who was the one on deaths’ door?
Nico slowed his pace and focused on the feeling. If he concentrated, he could feel the soul vibrating, getting closer and closer to death. But who was it?
Nico stopped at the low end of the ramp. He was walking away from his intended destination but this felt right. A young boy with two beads on his necklace slumped against the railing, clutching his stomach.
“Hey kid, what’s the issue?” Nico asked.
The young boy’s eyelids flickered but fell shut again. His arms tightened around his belly.
“Tummy hurts,” he whined.
“Did you fall off something or did something fall on you?” Nico taking a guess as the boy was covered head to toe in dirt and dust.
“Fell on a plank. Didn’t hurt at first but now it’s really bad,” said the boy.
“Didn’t anyone give you nectar or ambrosia?” Nico asked. The boy shook his head. “Told didn’t need it.”
Nico scoffed. This boy needed it more than the dozen campers ahead of him and now it might be too late. Nico wrapped his arm under the boy’s armpits and hoisted him up. The boy moaned but did not protest to cutting the line.
Will’s siblings, however, had a lot to say about line cutting.
“And what do you think you’re doing?” snapped one of Will’s sisters. “He has to wait in line.”
“I don’t think you understand how bad his condition is,” Nico snapped.
Another Apollo kid, a boy this time, shoved his face right into Nico’s and said, “This is how we do things here. We are in charge and if we let everyone cut the line than no one would get treated. Just because your friends with Will doesn’t mean you can ignore our rules.”
Nico gritted his teeth, bighting back a curse. He could feel the rubber band stretching.
“Damn your rules! This kid needs help now!” Nico didn’t realize he was yelling right in front of the door. The door flung open and a waft of cold air chilled his face for a second. Will, looking haggard, his face wilting, eyed the four campers fighting. Will’s siblings immediately began to complain about Nico’s disregard for the rules. They sneered, expecting Will to back them up. Will sighed and locked eye’s with Nico.
Nico didn’t want to bring up his weird powers in front of these fart eaters but especially not in front of the dying kid. “Please help him Will.” Was all Nico said. Will held his gaze. Nico tried to convey everything he knew into his eyes where Will could read them.
“What’s your name?” Will asked.
“Alex,” the boy wheezed, holding on to consciousness.
Will reached out a hand and placed it on the limp camper’s forehead. Will snapped up and his tired face vanished, replaced by an alert leader Nico had only recently discovered.
“Sarah, grab his legs. He’s bleeding out internally,” Will shouted over his shoulder. “And get all the nectar you can get your hands on.”
Nico, adjusting his grip, took the camper’s arms and followed Will’s sister inside. They had practically thrown out a recently patched up kid so they could put the newcomer down. Nico found himself pinned between the wall, a bed on either side of him, and Will frantically cutting away the orange shirt. Nico had seen death and battle wounds before but it still shocked him how anyone missed this.
Alex’s belly had blotted out and were all the colors of pain. Purples and blues swirled together in the deepest bruises Nico had seen. Nico felt the rubber band pull tighter.
Will was shouting for nectar and ambrosia. Nico felt a slight relaxing on the rubber band when Will placed his hands on the boy and whispered prayers for healing. Beads of sweat prickled Will’s forehead and his hands began to tremble. Alex’s tether tightened again, despite Will’s intervention. It wasn’t working.
“Will,” Nico said afraid of his own voice. Will gave no indication of hearing as he continued to chant the prayer of healing. Nico felt the tether straining.
“Will you have to stop!” Nico said. Will only shook his head, his eyes not leaving their mark on Alex’s stomach and his chant continued unshaken.
It was only a matter of minutes now. Alex’s hallow breaths rattled in his breaking body. Nico placed his hand on Alex’s forehead just as Will did moments ago. Nico drew in a long breath, closed his eyes, and plunged his mind into the abys.
He had assumed that it would be like dream walking. It wasn’t.
Nico found himself in cabin 4, covered in plants and humid like a greenhouse but it did not give off the tranquil, yet allergy inducing, serenity Nico associated with the Demeter cabin. Instead, the pots clattered as the walls and ceiling shook. Grey skies blocked out the natural sunlight that normally flowed through the windows. Books and bedding tumbled off the bunks. Nico struggled to keep his footing as he stumbled to the camper cowering in the corner. Alex buried his face in his knees, his arms wrapped tightly around his legs.
“Hey, Alex,” Nico said. Alex didn’t answer. The cabin gave another shutter. A hanging pot fell off it’s hook and crashed to the ground. Dirt, porcelain, and leaves scattered. Alex gave no indication of noticing.
“Alex,” Nico said again, squatting next to the boy. Nico placed a hand on Alex’s back and his head shot up. The cabin immediately stopped shaking.
“What-what’s happening?” Alex stammered, parallel tears rolled down his face. “Am I dead?”
Nico could see Will or Piper soothing this terrified child, giving them a big hug and telling him everything would be ok. That wasn’t Nico’s style.
“You are not dead yet but you are dying,” said Nico. Alex’s face scrunched up and two more tears fell down his cheeks.
“I don’t want to die,” Alex said.
“I know,” said Nico, and feeling the boy’s body tremble beneath his hand, Nico rubbed his back as best he could. Alex hiccupped a few times as more tears fell. Nico watched as the color started to drain away from the cabin. Nico felt in his chest Alex’s tether pulled taught.
“What’s it like, you know, in the Underworld?” Alex asked mid-hiccup.
“Depends on where you go. I’ve actually never been to Elysium but I bet if I went, I would never want to come back here. The Fields of Asphodel are fine. You don’t have any worries or pain but it’s just kind of there.”
“And Tartarus?” Alex asked bravely. Nico could never forget the screams of pain and tortured, the smell of rot and sulfur. It was a suffering no child should have to imagine.
“You’re not going there so you don’t have to worry about it,” Nico assured. Alex nodded and whipped his running nose on the back of his hand.
“What’s going to happen to my dad?” Alex met Nico’s eyes for the first time. Alex’s jade eyes were the brightest color in the fading color of the cabin.
“I don’t know. I wish I could tell you but I don’t know.” More silent tears fell as Alex turned his head and picked at the torn hem of his shorts.
“I was growing a trillium for him. I was going to show it to him when I went home at the end of the summer,” said Alex.
“I’m sure he will like it,” said Nico automatically. Then when Alex locked eyes again, full of hope for the first time, realized what Nico had just implied.
“You will take it to him?” Well, no turning back now. Nico wondered if plants could survive shadow travel. He would have to practice first but if not, Jules-Alber would be a good backup plan.
“Sure. Where’s your dad?”
“Canton, Georgia. He owns Festive Florals on Canton Highway. Please, tell him I love him. He was the best dad ever and I really miss him.” More tears. And apart from Alex and Nico, the cabin had turn to various shades of grey.
“I will,” said Nico. Alex finally looked around his settings and finally registered the strange setting they found themselves in. Even the shades of grey blurred into a single swatch. Nico could feel he only had moments.
“It’s happening.”
“Yes.”
“I’m scared.”
“I know, but you don't have to be,” said Nico. “I’m right here.” Alex stood up and as he did so, the color drained form his face, his cloths and his skin.
“You know, you are a lot nicer than you pretend to be,” said Alex, a grey smile crossed his face as he faded into the colorless surroundings. The rubber band snapped. There was no color, just a void where a young soul should have been. And for a moment, all he could feel was a warm glow of a summer’s morning. Only living souls gave warmth. Nico felt the warmth and knew it was Will. He could feel Will's prayer.
Nico found himself slipping back into the Big House. He was still sitting at the head of the bed, his hand still resting on Alex’s forehead. Alex’s eyes were closed and chest still. Alex had no more color to give. No more warmth to give. Nico blinked out the rawness in his eyes, sending tears to fall onto the bed.
“Damn it,” a slight whisper broke the spell of serenity Nico had not realized had fallen over him. Will, was next to him, red faced and pouring with sweat. Nico reached out to touch Will’s shoulder but Will shot up and kicked the bed frame.
“Damn it to Styx!” Will shouted and stormed out, leaving shocked and confused faces in his wake.
Nico fought the urge to immediately chase after him as when the door slammed behind Will, all faces turned towards him. Well, so much for keeping everyone calm.
“What just happened?”
“It’s been a hard day,” Nico hedged.
“It’s been a hard day for all of us and you don’t see us storming out,” said a daughter of Apollo.
Nico swallowed. They were going to find out eventually. “He was trying to treat Alex but it was too late. We lost him.” Some campers hung their heads in resignation. Other’s claps hands to their gapping mouths. None broke down in wailing, hitting their chests or losing their minds in grief. These campers had seen too much death in the past year to be faced when it was a camper they barely knew. It seamed, Will was the one who cared the most. Nico pointed to a camper at random and made them in charge as he went after Will. Nico snagged some ambrosia off a table as he slipped into the Big House.
Nico drifted from room to room, failing to find Will. He even checked the conference room twice, thinking that their make-shift morgue would be the first place a guilt ridden healer would go. He was wrong.
Nico found Will huddled head in his hands, elbows on his knees, surrounded by the discarded junk in the attic. And again Nico found himself wishing to be anyone else in the world or at least slightly better with people in emotional distress. But Will was not a terrified twelve year old. Will had seen war. Seen pain, suffering and death. He knew the depth of loss of friends and failure to save them. How can one comfort one so complicated?
Nico took a few tentative steps forward.
“Please leave,” said Will, his voice thick. Nico took the suggestion under consideration and chose to ignore it. Nico sat down next to Will. To Nico’s satisfaction, Will did not object. Unlike Alex, who needed coaxing to admit his fears, Will knew all too well the feelings swirling in his exhausted idle brain. Will needed time to feel them and put them into words. Nico sat staring at his shoes, holding onto the feeling of warmth.
Minutes slipped past with only Will’s heavy breathing cutting through the dusty air.
“I tried to save him,” said Will.
“I know,” said Nico.
“I couldn’t save him,” said Will, voice cracking.
“I know,” said Nico. “That’s why I brought him inside. I could feel him dying.”
“Then why didn’t you say anything?” said Will turning to Nico. His eyes were blotchy.
“Because I knew you would still try your hardest to save him,” said Nico.
“But then it wouldn’t hurt so much,” snapped Will and Nico felt like he had been slapped. Will’s eyes soften and hastened to stand. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have – I’m sorry. I need to go back down.”
“Will, sit down. You are exhausted. Take a moment for yourself,” said Nico, struggling to his feet. Will waved him off, turning towards the stairs. Nico reached out to grab Will’s arm. Will spun around and in an instant Nico could see his face blanch and his eyes roll up into his head.
“Will!” Nico shouted and lunged for Will as he collapsed to the ground. Nico fell hard on one knee taking the full weight of Will’s body into his arms.
“Will!” Nico shouted again. Nico shifted his legs underneath Will, cradling his head in the crook of his elbow. Nico tapped Will’s cheek only to get a twitch of the eye in response.
“Come on Will, wake up!” Nico pleaded, giving Will a slight shake. A slight groan escaped Will’s lips before his eyes pried themselves open. Will glanced around in a dazed fog.
“Hey, hey look at me. I have some ambrosia. You’ll feel better,” said Nico, fishing out the mangled square from his pocket. He brought it to Will’s lips but Will turned his head away.
“They need it more than me,” Will groaned.
“You just passed out. Probably because you have been healing everyone all day and definitely ‘cause you were trying to fix a lost cause and the fact you didn’t bother to heal that nasty cut on your arm has not in fact helped with your exhaustion. Just take the ambrosia,” said Nico. Will didn’t object but he didn’t look pleased about it either. As he chewed, the weariness edged away. His brows relaxed slightly. Will hands steadied as he took another piece from Nico’s proffered hand.
“Can you sit up?” Nico asked. Not because he wanted Will to leave his arms. Nico was kind of surprised at himself for even suggesting it when Will’s soft hair tickling his elbow made him want to clutch Will closer. Nico could feel every breath Will took while resting upon Nico’s legs. Nico couldn’t help but watch the little dips of Will’s Adam’s apple as he swallowed the ambrosia. And the warmth of Will so close to him. How was Will so warm compared to his icy fingers despite the summer heat? Why would Nico want to separate from all this?
Nico cursed himself when Will nodded, slowly pushing himself up. Nico helped but felt the absence of Will’s warmth instantly. Will sat with his gaze fixed at the dusty forgotten junk in front of him. Nico swallowed before he could muster another question.
“Are you ok?” a question Nico was sure he had never asked another human. (Ok, maybe his sisters, and Rayna, who is like a sister, but sisters don’t count in these kinds of situations.)
Will shook his head ‘no’ and Nico felt his chest clench.
“I still feel like it’s my fault,” whispered Will.
“Hey, Alex doesn’t - didn’t - blame you. He didn’t blame anybody. Yes, he was scared, I think most people are when faced with the inevitability of death and the uncertainty of where we are going to end up. But in the end, he left with his head held high. And you know what? You gave him that. When I was talking with him, in his last few moments, I could feel your warmth. You gave him enough time to find his courage and to brave the unknown alone. You did that.”
Will turned, eyes glistening with tears. Nico held his breath, fearing he said the wrong thing until a soft smile blossomed on his pale pink lips.
Will leaned forward. Nico felt his instincts kick in and tensed at the sudden flurry of movement. Will wrapped his arms around Nico, burring his head into the crook of Nico’s neck. Nico felt the tears release from Will’s eyes and roll down to be absorbed by his shirt collar.
“Thank you,” Will whispered. Nico felt the tension melt under Will’s warm embrace and moved his cheek into Will’s hair. Nico wrapped his arms around Will, wishing to never let go. Nico had to let go of so many people. His mother, Bianca, and for a time Percy and Annabeth, and the countless campers in the numerous battles between Camp Half Blood and Camp Jupiter. He was good at letting go. But now, he wanted to hold on to this. He wanted to hold on to this boy, passionate about life, of saving it and living it to the fullest. Maybe he could be passionate about life too.
Will shifted his head off Nico’s shoulder but his arms remained firmly in place. Nico could feel the breath on his face and smelled the faint floral smell he always had when smelling ambrosia. Will’s eyes glistened so closely that Nico could see tiny flecks of green in his blue eyes, just around the irises. Nico could hear Will swallow and watched his lips part to form a question.
“May I kiss you, Nico de Angelo? You mean so much to me and I don’t know how else to tell you.”
Nico was lost for words. He quickly licked his lips, hoping Will wouldn’t mind how chapped they were and nodded, not trusting his voice to be steady enough to carry his answer. Nico dared not close his eyes as Will brought his head in close. Nico hissed in a breath and felt his body’s instincts kick in. He tensed as Will’s lips met his.
Shockwaves of warmth electrified every part of Nico’s brain. His arms tightened around Will without him thinking about it. The lingering taste of ambrosia filled Nico with a sense of serenity. Will’s arms gave him the insurance of safety. Nothing in his wildest dreams prepared him for the reality of having someone’s lips on his and the rush that came with it.
Then something wet slid into his mouth. Nico jerked away, breaking the spell. His eyes bulging trying to figure out what in Tartarus just happened. Nico could feel his eyes bugging out and Will looked equally as shocked.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” said Will, his voice somehow deeper than before. Nico couldn’t quite manage to say it was ok, his head was still reeling with the fact he just had his first kiss and …then it clicked.
“Was-was that your tongue?” Nico asked, trying hide the shock on his face. Will turned a rosy shade of pink.
“Uh, yeah. Have you not, um, had a French kiss before?” asked Will, his eyes darting to the floor and back to Nico’s eyes.
“Yeah, I have,” Nico lied. “I just, um, wasn’t ready.” And after a pause, “Not yet, at least.” Will’s eyes warmed and pulled Nico back into a hug.
“We have time,” said Will. And Nico agreed that yes, they had time. And he smiled into Will’s hair knowing he had finally found a passion to live for.