Chapter Text
"Did you talk to Percy?" Will asked as he and Nico walked toward the infirmary. “Percy had looked rattled, like he'd just seen a ghost.”
"Maybe he did," Nico muttered, scowling. "I am the Ghost King, after all."
It was a weak attempt to cover his embarrassment. The last thing he wanted was for everyone to know he was gay. But the moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them. He’d promised Jason he’d stay at Camp Half-Blood and try to make friends. Instead, he’d thrown everything off balance by blurting out his feelings for Percy—in front of Annabeth, no less. And now? He’d just snapped at Will, the one person who’d actually been kind to him, and basically outed his Underworld status. Great. Because if there’s one thing people love, it’s the Underworld.
"Really? I didn’t know that," Will said, his tone genuinely curious.
Nico glanced up, startled. Will wasn’t freaked out? His blue eyes were full of interest, not fear.
"What’s it like?" Will pressed. "Being the Ghost King, I mean. What do you actually do?"
Nico hesitated. No one had ever asked him that before. "Well… if I run into lost or restless spirits, I help them move on," he said as they reached the infirmary. Will immediately got to work cleaning his wounds. "When I visit the Underworld, I always pay Charon some drachmas so at least ten souls don’t have to keep waiting at the entrance."
"Wait, you pay Charon?" Will looked up, puzzled.
Nico shrugged. "I mean, I don’t have to, but it’d be cruel to just leave them there."
Will gave him a look of approval. "You’re a good guy, Nico."
Nico opened his mouth to argue, but before he could, Will casually added, "Now take your shirt off. I need to check all your injuries."
Heat rushed to Nico’s face. Oh gods. He obeyed, trying to keep his expression neutral. Will, apparently unfazed, gestured for him to continue.
"Uh… right. Another thing I do is help my dad and stepmother with Underworld affairs," Nico went on, forcing himself to focus. "We’ve changed a lot of the old rules. There aren’t any fast lanes to Asphodel anymore, and souls that weren’t particularly good or bad now have a chance to work their way into Elysium. Also, instead of three judges, there are six now—two rooms for efficiency."
"Step-mother? You mean Persephone?" Will asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought she hated you!"
His voice carried, and before Nico knew it, a small crowd had gathered, eager for some juicy Underworld drama.
"She did. A little," Nico admitted. "My father chose my mother to have not only Bianca, but also me. They had a close bond—more like siblings, really. But Persephone took it the wrong way and got jealous."
Will let out a low whistle. "I mean… if my husband cheated on me, I’d be pretty pissed too."
Nico blinked, not catching the joke. "But my father didn’t cheat on her. Persephone allows him to have demigod children with mortal women—on one condition: no sex."
Will's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"
"Yeah," Nico continued matter-of-factly. "Dad takes a soul from Elysium, mixes it with his DNA, and places it in the womb of a chosen woman. No physical contact needed."
Will opened his mouth, then shut it again. "That is…" He paused, momentarily thrown off by the sharp look in Nico’s eyes, which screamed I swear if you make this weird…
"…amazing," Will finished, grinning. "That’s some next-level biology. Seriously, you need to explain that to me later."
Nico’s tense expression softened slightly. Will’s enthusiasm was oddly contagious.
"Wait a second," Will continued, narrowing his eyes. "You said Hades never cheated, but what about Minthe?"
At that, Nico threw his head back and laughed—a rare, genuine sound that caught everyone off guard. The melody of it was… well, kind of beautiful.
"Minthe was a nymph Demeter sent to seduce my dad," Nico explained, smirking. "But she ended up falling in love with my half-brother Zagreus instead—he’s the youngest son of Hades and Persephone."
The demigods listening in exchanged glances. This was not the Underworld gossip they had expected. Maybe they’d misjudged him.
Nico cleared his throat. "Anyway, besides handling ghosts, I also help Thanatos track down escaped souls. Thanks to Gaea, a ton of them are still loose on Earth." His expression darkened. "It’s only a matter of time before my dad asks me to help round them up."
Will gaped at him. "You just survived Tartarus, got trapped in that cursed bronze jar, shadow-traveled a massive Athena statue across the world, and fought in a war against Gaea’s forces. And now you’re already talking about going on another mission?"
"I promised to let you heal me for three days," Nico said firmly. "And you will. But after that? If my dad needs me, I’m going." His voice had an edge to it that made a few nearby campers flinch. "These souls are dangerous. If they’re not caught soon, people will get hurt."
Silence.
A few demigods exchanged uneasy looks, finally realizing—maybe for the first time—that Nico had always been looking out for them.
"Also," Nico muttered, crossing his arms, “‘Underworldly’ is not a word."
Will sighed, realizing there was no arguing with him. "Fine. But you still haven’t told me—what’s so great about being the Ghost King?"
Nico tilted his head, considering. "Well… I am the most important non-god in the Underworld," he admitted. "When my dad named me Ghost King, Persephone announced I was her champion. And my father actually pays me for my work."
"Wait, what?"
The Stoll brothers, who had been eavesdropping nearby, both shouted in unison, "OH, SWEET OLYMPUS!"
"You get paid?"
"That is so unfair!"
"Teach me how to fight, please!"
"Dude, you rock!"
Nico’s face turned an impressive shade of red as the campers suddenly swarmed him with admiration. He looked like he wanted to melt into the shadows and disappear.
Will, watching with a smirk, finished tending to his wounds. Maybe now, he thought, they’ll finally start treating him right.