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The sheets on Will’s bed were thin, orange satin. They were freshly laundered, smelling strongly of citrus detergent, a fragrant burst of tangerine that smoothed into Nico’s nostrils as his eyes fluttered open.
Instinctively, his hands reached out seeking warmth. He was rewarded with familiar, calloused fingers twining through his own.
“Mornin’ sleepyhead.” Will’s voice was tinted with amusement.
Nico glanced up, eyes softening as he took in his boyfriend’s face. Will was offering him a gentle smile, but it was marred slightly by his black eye and swollen lip.
“Hey.” Nico breathed, reaching his free hand up to trail fingers along the contours of Will’s cheekbone. “How are you feeling, mi amor?”
“Completely fine.” Will assured him. “Seriously.”
“You look a little blue.” Nico mused, his fingertips delicately brushing the bruised skin around Will’s clear azure eyes.
“I’ve been bluer.” Will replied wryly.
“Is bluer a word?” Nico wondered.
“It’s too early for this kind of talk. It’s noon.”
“Did you get any sleep?” Nico let out a small yawn, stretching his arms above him with relief.
“A little. Face kinda hurts.”
Nico’s brows pulled together, his brown eyes settling worriedly on Will’s injured face. “Please, my love, drink some more nectar.”
“I’m alright, I’ve already taken more than I should to heal the rest of it. This will pass soon.” Will shook his head, squeezing Nico’s hand.
“You should never have jumped in front of me.” Nico’s voice took on a low, guilty tenor.
“You’re right. Next time I’ll let you get ripped in half.”
Nico sat up, turning on Will with narrowed eyes. “That would be preferable to-”
“Angel, I broke a few ribs that are already mostly healed. That’s nothing compared to what could’ve-”
“Will, you were thrown into a brick wall! You’re lucky you only broke your ribs and bruised your face.”
Will shrugged, “And that gave you enough time to grab your sword and turn that stupid Cyclops into dust.”
“Next time just let it kill me.” Nico sighed and scooched back down, resting his head on Will’s check, careful not to put any pressure on his ribs. “I can’t stand seeing you hurt, dude.”
“Dude?”
“This talk is getting a little intense, I had to distance myself emotionally.”
“Ah, I see.” Will chuckled, then inhaled sharply, his body tensing up.
Nico shot back into a sitting position with wide, concerned eyes. “Hey, what is it? Ribs? What do you need?”
“I’m alright, I’m alright.” The blonde boy assured him. “Just a little tender still. Come back.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You aren’t. You’re helping.” Will held his arms out for Nico to return.
Reluctantly, Nico moved back in. He wrapped his arms around Will’s waist, resting his ear over the steady thrum of Will’s beating heart in his chest. His skin was warm to the touch, and Nico felt the itch of the ace bandages on his side.
He could still remember rushing into the infirmary after shadow-traveling back to camp. Will had been pretty out of it, curled in half and clutching his broken ribs with a few lingering moans of pain. His nose had been bleeding from the impact into the wall, lip split and eye blackened. Nico must’ve appeared deranged and frantic as he dragged Will toward a cot and shouted at the nearest campers, “Fix him!”
Will’s fingers carded through Nico’s hair, and the shorter boy shuddered with pleasured relief at the familiar feeling. He exhaled, eyes closing again as he relaxed against Will’s bare skin.
“Last time we go into town without my medic pack.” Will muttered. “I should know better.”
“It isn’t your fault, we were going to the movies.” Nico sighed. “Wonder if we’ll ever get a normal date without monster interference.”
It was true that most of their trips out of camp had been interrupted by some sort of Olympic level threat. If it wasn’t a monster, it was a task from Hades that Nico simply couldn’t disregard, or a summons back to camp for some medical emergency for Will.
“At least we never get bored.” Will murmured.
“It’s my fault the monsters keep coming.” Nico said quietly. “My smell…”
“I like the way you smell.” Will smiled. “Always just a little hint of cinnamon.”
Nico wrinkled his nose, “you’re saying I smell like food?”
“No idiot, I’m saying you smell like a really nice fall candle.”
“You smell like butts.” Nico muttered sourly.
Will leaned down and kissed the top of his head. “Butts that you like to sniff.”
“You’re a freak.”
“That’s why you love me, no?”
“It is part of your charm.” Nico agreed begrudgingly. “But you know that wasn’t my point. You’re in danger because of me. My powers attract these monsters. This is my fault.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s the nasty monster’s fault. C’mon, since when are we blaming ourselves for these dumb monsters?”
“Since you broke your ribs.” Nico frowned. “Protecting me.”
“Newsflash, Di Angelo. I will always protect you.” Will squeezed Nico a little tighter against him. “It’s part of the deal.”
“The deal?”
“Yeah, being madly in love with you.”
Nico scoffed, “you are not madly in love with me.”
“Excuse me? You don’t get to decide that.”
“You can be in love with me, you are my boyfriend after all. But you can’t be madly in love with me. Madness is unbecoming.” Nico warned.
Will rolled his eyes. “You’re too literal.”
“That’s part of my charm.” Nico smirked. There was a brief beat of silence, and then Nico heard a low, grumbling sound from Will’s stomach. “Are you hungry?”
“Starving.”
“Will!” Nico exclaimed, moving to sit up. “Why wouldn’t you say something?”
“No, no, don't leave.” Will clung more tightly to him, pinning Nico against his good side. “I wanna snuggle.”
“You need to eat.” Nico pried Will’s arms off of him, which he was only able to do because of his boyfriend’s weakened state. “What would you like?”
Will shrugged, “Whatever they’re serving for lunch.”
“No, anything you want.” Nico insisted. “I’ll go get something.”
“Oh no.” Will shook his head sternly. “No shadow traveling, especially alone. After that attack you can’t leave camp without-”
“Don’t tell me what to do, Solace!”
“For crying out loud Nico! You aren’t risking your life to get me food. We have food in the safety of the camp's borders.”
Nico offered him a smug smile. “You want Kokos?”
A brief gleam of excitement flashed in Will’s eyes at the mention of his favorite restaurant. Kokos was a barbecue restaurant back in Austin that Will had gushed over so many times, Nico eventually shadow-traveled them both there for a date night. They’d managed to finish most of their meal before encountering a Dracanae. It was one of Nico’s favorite nights ever.
“No!” Will crossed his arms over his chest, then flinched and unwound them, tenderly rubbing the ace bandage on his ribs. “Do not leave this camp, Nico.”
“I will not walk out of the border.” Nico assured him.
“Nico-”
“I’ll be back soon!” He stepped into the shadow of Will’s bookshelf, and before the blonde boy could scramble out of bed to restrain him, Nico disappeared in a vapor of darkness.
He set his focus, shifting through the shadows and envisioning where he wanted to land. He’d been getting a lot better at this lately. As long as he didn’t overdo it like he’d done a few years ago with the Athena Parthenos, he could keep himself intact and pretty healthy. He normally just needed a rest and a Will-provided KitKat to recover.
Nico found himself materializing beneath a streetlight outside the bustling restaurant. Customers milled in and out, laughing and talking as they excitedly entered the joint for barbecue ribs and pulled pork sandwiches.
Luckily, he’d fallen asleep on top of Will late last night in his clothes from the movie, so his wallet was present in his jean pocket. He sauntered through the swinging front doors.
The restaurant was not one Nico would typically patron on his own. There was a loud twang of country music coming from the small stage on the other end of the restaurant, and a mechanical bull was centered in the middle of the room. The walls were lined with decapitated animal heads, décor he always found unsettling and masochistic.
He made his way to the counter, offering a hesitant smile to the perky cashier, who greeted him loudly, “Howdy there! Welcome to Kokos barbecue! What can we get started for you?”
Nico knew Will’s order well, and he knew that he needed to have enough for leftovers. “Hello. May I please have two pounds of sliced brisket, chipotle barbecue sauce, a quart of macaroni and cheese, a pint of coleslaw, a dozen potato buns and a pan of cornbread?”
“Absolutely!” The girl inputted his order into the large register. “Would you like to try our new peach cobbler recipe?”
“Oh, yes please. Two orders of that.”
“Alrighty… is that for here or to go?”
“To go, please.”
“You got it darlin’. Your name?”
“Nico.”
“Alright sweetheart. That’ll be thirty five dollars!”
Nico pawed around in his wallet and passed her a fifty dollar bill. She made his change and he tipped her before receiving a small, inky receipt.
“Go ahead and wait over there until we call your name. Shouldn’t be too long, darlin’.”
Nico thanked her again and then headed over to wait in the to-go area. From the wooden bench, he had a clear view of the stage. It took a moment, but after his eyes settled on the woman at the microphone, he realized he recognized her.
Naomi Solace was singing a lovely rendition of a twangy country tune. Her curly blonde hair was teased sky-high, and her beautiful blue eyes were shadowed with dark eye makeup. She wore a plaid shirt tied up like a tube top, and a pair of daisy duke shorts. Her cowgirl boots had pink rhinestones on them.
Nico hadn’t been able to meet her on their last trip to Texas, due to the monster attack. But he’d seen plenty of photos of her. He recognized her instantly, and found himself gently swaying to the sound of her melodic voice, even though it wasn’t his preferred genre.
She finished her set after a few minutes, and addressed the restaurant, “Thank y’all! You’ve been wonderful! Now, I’m gonna go get some cornbread!”
The patrons cheered excitedly and clapped for her as she exited the stage, and the restaurant's speakers kicked in some replacement country music.
Nico debated if he should go introduce himself. He knew Will had mentioned him in his letters to his mom, but he also knew their relationship was less than perfect. She was a good mom, and loved her son, but his entanglements with the world of Olympus always made it hard for him to stay with her. Naomi too was usually busy touring, and wasn’t home if Will wanted to visit. They didn’t see one another as much as they’d like.
Before he could make a decision, the cashier called out, “Order for Nico!” just as Naomi passed by.
She paused, glancing over in his direction. Her blue eyes settled on him, wide and surprised. Nico scrambled to his feet, facing her. His cheeks felt warm. Naomi blinked, and took a few steps closer to him.
“Nico?” She asked, arching a thin eyebrow.
“Ms. Solace?” He replied nervously.
She shook her head, “I recognize you from the pictures Will sent. You’re… is Will here?”
Nico decided not to mention that her son was currently on bedrest due to monster-related injuries from protecting him. It may make things less-than lighthearted.
“He isn’t. I was getting him some dinner.” He said.
“Order for Nico!” the cashier called out again.
Nico quickly headed for the counter and retrieved their order, thanking the employee profusely. He turned back to Naomi, a little unnerved by her intense stare.
She eyed his takeout bags, then glanced at his face. “You… drove here?”
“Oh, no… I have um… this ability…”
“Right.” She nodded. “Olympus stuff?”
“Yeah.”
“Cornbread and brisket?” Naomi gestured to the bags curiously.
“Coleslaw and macaroni, as well.”
She smiled, “I see you’re taking good care of my Will.”
Nico’s face flushed, “He does the same for me. More, actually.”
“Good. That’s the way it should be.” Naomi stepped a bit closer, so they were an arms length apart. “You’re cuter than your pictures.”
He cleared his throat, “Uh… thank you.”
“Sorry darlin, not that you aren’t an absolute doll in the pictures. It’s just different to see you in the flesh. You’re taller than I thought.” Naomi reached a hesitant hand out. “It’s nice to meet you, Nico.”
Nico shouldered his to-go bags and shook her hand quickly. “It’s a pleasure, Ms. Solace.”
“Naomi, please.” She insisted.
“I’m really sorry Will isn’t here. I wasn’t expecting to run into you.”
“That’s alright honey. Could you please tell him… well, I miss him? I’m thinking of him. I don’t leave for tour again until next month so if he can get away to come see me…” she chewed on her lower lip, “I would really like that. Both of you.”
“I will tell him.” Nico assured her. “I’m sure he’d love to.”
“Well, I won't keep you too long. Don’t want that brisket getting cold.” Naomi offered him a small smile.
“It was really nice to meet you, Ms. Solace.”
“Naomi, dear.”
“Um, it was nice to meet you…Naomi.”
“Nico?” The woman stopped him before he could head for the door.
“Yes?”
“Is Will… is he doing okay? I mean, I know things haven’t been as scary and world-ending as they once were. But I just…worry.” Naomi tucked a coiled blonde curl behind her ear, and the nervous motion reminded Nico so much of Will that he was taken aback.
He couldn’t lie to her.
“He is okay.” Nico promised. “He’s not here because he actually got hurt last night. He protected me from a monster, and he broke a few ribs.”
Naomi’s eyes widened, and Nico quickly continued, “But he’s okay! I got him to the infirmary, he had nectar and ambrosia and he’s nearly fully healed.”
She nodded, wringing her hands together worriedly. “He’s okay?”
“He’s okay, I promise.”
Sighing heavily, the woman said, “Thank you, Nico.”
“I’m really sorry he got hurt because of me.” Nico moistened his lips. “I was doing my best to protect him but I guess he had the same idea.”
“Don’t be sorry.” Naomi’s voice was kind and gentle. “It’s wonderful to hear that my son is so courageous and brave.”
“He is. He really is. He’s amazing. The best person I know.”
She smiled knowingly. “He cares for you deeply, Nico. I struggle to receive a letter from him that doesn’t mention you at great length.”
Nico suddenly felt incredibly embarrassed, “um, I’m sorry-”
“No darlin’ that is a very good thing. You bring him happiness. In a life like his? The chaos I doomed him to… well, thank you for giving him that small bit of joy. You’ve brought the light back to him.”
It was ridiculous. Nico, prince of darkness, ghost king, death boy, was most certainly not bringing light to anyone. Though Naomi's expression was so earnest, he found it hard not to believe her.
“Thank you.” He murmured. “You have no idea how much that means to me. And Ms. Solace-“
“Honey, please.”
His lips pressed into a thin smile. “Naomi, if I may? You didn’t doom him to anything. Our lives are difficult, sometimes immensely. But… they’re worth it. I know that he wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Thank you so much darlin’.” Naomi leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to Nico’s forehead. “Pass that on to Will for me, okay honey? Be safe.”
“I promise.” Nico replied, a little dumbfounded and overwhelmed by the gentle kiss of a mother.
“It was nice to meet you Nico.”
“It was nice to meet you, Naomi.”
She patted his shoulder warmly, then turned and meandered into the crowd of excited restaurant-goers. Nico watched until he could no longer see her tangled golden hair.
Nico was prepared for Will’s wrath. As he reappeared in the Apollo cabin, feet planted firmly on the wood floor while his brain tilted sideways in his head, he readied himself to be torn a new one.
Firstly, he had to catch his breath. The second shadow-travel had left his bones feeling mushy and his head cloudy. He set the takeout bag on the nearest surface -an end table- and bent in half, hands on his knees as he breathed slowly.
“Neeks?”
He glanced up and saw Will frantically moving to get out of bed.
“No!” Nico gasped, holding a hand out to bar him. “Don’t you dare get out of bed, Solace!”
Will was already en route. He climbed out of bed and hurried over to Nico’s side, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him toward the bed. Nico sat heavily at the foot, still catching his breath.
“Lay down!” He demanded.
“You lay down!” Will argued, though one of his hands cradled his side where it was wrapped with ace bandages. His expression was taut with discomfort from the movement.
“Lay down before I murder you.” Nico threatened.
Will looked like he wanted to disagree again, but apparently he was hurting too badly to protest. He moved back on to the bed, wincing as he climbed in and leaned wearily against the headboard.
“What is wrong with you?” Will’s voice was a growl, but the undertones of concern were potent. “You can’t just do that, Nico!”
“Feeding you is the very least I can do, considering you got your ribs broken for me.” Nico’s eyes squeezed shut against the dizziness.
“Stop it, you don’t owe me anything. You’ve gotten hurt for me too. You can’t just…” his voice trailed off and he eyed the takeout bags. “Is that really from Kokos?”
The room finally stopped spinning and Nico got to his feet. “If we’re done with the dramatics, I come bearing brisket.”
He crossed over and grabbed the to-go bags, which were somehow still warm. He brought it back over to the bed and sat, crossing his legs underneath him while he unpacked the food. Will looked excited as Nico set the boxes out on the bed in front of them. When Will saw the macaroni, he squealed excitedly and snatched it up. Nico barely had time to pass him a spoon before he was digging in ravenously.
“Ohhh….” Will elicited a soft noise of pleasure. “Oh gods… that’s good.”
Nico’s face felt warm. “Jeez Will, nobody asked you to marry it.”
“Nope, I’m gonna marry you for getting it.”
“So my recklessness is forgiven?”
“For now.” Will scooped another bite into his mouth, eyes closing serenely. “Mmmmmm.”
Nico adjusted uncomfortably on the bed, “Alright, your ecstasy noises are weirding me out.”
“I can’t even hear you right now.” Will shook his head.
“Here.” Nico passed him the brisket and potato buns.
Will set his macaroni down and grabbed the chipotle barbecue sauce, drizzling it over the meat before piling it on to a bun, and topping the whole creation off with a hearty scoop of coleslaw. He dug in ferociously.
“Eat.” Will ordered Nico.
Nico served himself a brisket sandwich as well, chewing with much less vigor than his giddy counterpart. Will’s excitement made Nico smile. It was definitely worth the shadow-travel fatigue.
“Will.” Nico said after a few quiet moments of chewing and trying to ignore the blonde’s unholy noises of pleasure.
“Hmm?” Will asked through a mouthful of cornbread.
“I met your mother tonight. She was singing at Kokos.”
Will paused with his next bite at his lips, eyes widening as he stared at Nico. It took a moment for him to manage, “You…what?”
“We ran into each other in the takeout line.” Nico explained. “She recognized me from photos.”
Will’s eyebrows pulled together. “Um… okay. I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Nor was I.”
“Was it… weird? Or, I dunno. How was it?”
“She was very kind to me. She said I was tall.”
Will snorted, “Okay so she was definitely overcompensating.”
“5’8 is tall, jackass.”
“You’re 5’7 and a half, Angel.”
“Anyway,” Nico scowled, “she is off tour next month and wants us to come visit.”
Will perked up at that, “Really?”
“So she says.”
“Would you? Come with me?”
“Of course.” Nico offered him a shy smile. “If you want me to.”
“I do.” Will ran a hand through his tousled blonde hair. “Thanks Neeks. For the food, and for talking with her and… and just for everything really. You make me so happy. Happier than I ever thought possible.”
Nico’s chest swelled with warmth at the other boy’s earnest words. He reached over and grabbed Will’s hand, not even worried about the potential barbecue sauce hazard.
“You do the same for me.” Nico assured him. “I love you Will. Madly.”
Will grinned. “You being sarcastic?”
“No.” Nico shook his head. “I mean it.”
“I love you too, Nico. Madliest.”
“Definitely not a word.”
“Definitely don’t care.”
“Hey, by the way. Got some desert.” Nico reached into the bag and removed the peach cobbler, still warm in its Styrofoam packaging.
“Oh!” Will snatched it out of his hands, cracking the lid and inhaling the aroma ferociously. He licked his macaroni spoon clean and scooped himself a huge bite of cobbler. The noise that came out of him next was borderline unbearable.
“Sooo good… “ He moaned obnoxiously.
“Knock it off Solace.” Nico warned. “I’m dangerously close to being attracted to you.”
“I’d better keep it up.” The blonde replied with a mischievous smirk.
“Oh I almost forgot.” Nico pressed a quick kiss to Will’s forehead. “That’s from your mom.”
Will's cheeks turned red. “That’s embarrassing.”
“No it isn’t.” Nico said. “It’s the most beautiful thing in the world. Take it from someone without a mom.”
The taller boy's expression tinged with sympathy. He laced his hand through Nico’s. “You’re right. Thanks for passing that along to me.”
Nico squeezed his hand and leaned in closer. Their noses touched gently, and Nico pressed their lips together. Will tasted of warm cobbler, and his mouth was soft, lips sweet and familiar.
They kissed urgently for a few beats, the rhythm of their movement so well-practiced it was like a flawless recital. It felt right, in every single way.
“I love you.” Will breathed once their lips had separated. His smile was a radiant burst of gleaming light in an otherwise morose room.
Nico found himself smiling back, an action that he was so used to now it was like second nature, when it had once been utterly unheard of.
“I love you too. Now quit hogging the cobbler!”