Chapter Text
Nico didn’t necessarily like to lie, he just happened to have a long track record of it.
He could admit it was fun though. At least, it was when he wasn’t going undercover at another camp that would’ve regarded him as an enemy the moment his true heritage was revealed. Or when he wasn’t gaslighting his childhood crush into believing that they had never met before because he still hadn’t gotten over both his feelings and the loss of his sister.
But other than that, he liked to use his perfected ability to stir some chaos. Sometimes camp would just seem too…normal. If he had been younger, that would’ve been a blessing, but after his brain had been constantly stimulated with the adrenaline from his time on the streets and contribution to the wars, peace was just unexciting.
So, every now and then, Nico would lie. It was nothing harmful, only enough to send whatever soul he had chosen to target into a panic. Just the other day he had managed to convince Cecil that when he had lived in Italy, he had fought his way to become the youngest mafia boss in history before Hades had taken him and Bianca and dipped them in the Lethe.
And now, the son of Hermes was the reason for Nico’s endless supply of chocolate in exchange for not sending a hitman after him.
However, while there had been a few people who didn’t fall for his slight fabrications of the truth (like Reyna and Hazel), he never had one that had ended up backfiring so much.
“Nope. No. That is practically a sin-”
“My father is literally the king of the Hell.” But Will ignored him.
“-you’re seriously tellin’ me you’ve never watched Star Wars?”
He had, actually. There had been one night during their stay at the Lotus Hotel when Bianca discovered a TV screen that had somehow ended up in their closet. She had found a basket of different DVDs next to it too, and they spent the next few days curled up beneath a makeshift blanket fort, gorging themselves on candy as they watched movie after movie.
That’s what he should’ve told Will. Except, he didn’t. Instead, he just dug himself into a deeper hole.
“Why would I?”
“Because it’s literally the best franchise of all time!”
“Is it?” Nico checked his nails, trying to appear uninterested. His cuticles needed to be pushed back. Maybe he should stop by Cabin Ten later to get that fixed because if he did it on his own, he was bound to make it worse.
Will let out some sort of wail in the back of his throat and Nico tilted his gaze at him again. It was kind of endearing to see him get this worked up. His cheeks puffed and his freckles slightly glowed. Like stars that were sprinkled in the night sky.
“Solace, I was born in the 1930’s. I don’t even know what Star Wars is.” He said. Like a liar.
There was a flurry of expressions that flitted over Will’s face before he abruptly set down the thick pile of paperwork he had been trying (and failing) to get done. Then he snatched away the roll of bandages Nico had been in the middle of cutting and grabbed his hand. Everything suddenly grew warmer, despite it being the middle of winter.
“Okay, new itinerary then,” Will declared, pulling him out of the office and into the infirmary. Nico’s feet moved on autopilot because he was too busy staring intently at their interlocked fingers as Will shouted across the room. “Kayla! Are you able to manage everythin’ by yourself for the rest of the day?”
A head of red hair jolted in surprise, accidentally hitting the opened door of a cabinet overhead. There was a muttered “fuck” before Kayla popped into view.
“I mean, yeah. It’s been pretty slow since most of the campers are staying with their mortal families for winter break so I think I should be good.” She paused, squinting at her brother. “Is everything okay? Did something happen?” Then she gasped. “You’re not on drugs are you?”
“I-what? No! Why would you even think that?”
Kayla simply shrugged and picked up a jar of salve, continuing her task of restocking inventory. “Because you never leave the infirmary on your own free will. You have like, attachment issues with it.”
Will rubbed a hand over his face. “That’s not true.”
“It is,” Nico said helpfully.
“Whatever. I was just going to introduce Nico to Star Wars because he said he’s never seen it.”
“Oh my gods,” Kayla said, voice flat, “what a tragedy.” She turned to Nico. “Good luck dude. You’ve practically sealed your fate. Will’s like, the biggest Star Wars nerd you’ll ever meet. He knows all the lore and has all the movies, the shows, some posters, a body pillo-”
“Okay!” Will interjected, voice an octave higher. He tugged at Nico’s hand. “We’re gonna be leavin’ now! If there’s any emergency let me know and do not break anythin’!”
“That was one time and it was Austin’s fault!”
Then they stepped out of the infirmary and the door closed shut behind them. Will huffed. After a few seconds, he looked at Nico and flashed a brilliant smile. If there was a competition between him and the sun over which was brighter, he would win by a landslide.
(It also made Nico’s heart stutter. Was that a sign of possible cardiac arrest? Or maybe it just meant he was going to die an early death.)
“Alright c’mon Neeks,” Will said, still not letting go of Nico as he led him toward Cabin Seven. “The original trilogy takes about six hours to watch, so if we wanna finish it before dinner we better get started. Prepare for your mind to be blown away.”
—
As a matter of fact, his mind did not get blown away because again, Nico had already seen the movies.
However, watching them with Will was a whole new experience.
He had dumped a mountain of blankets in the middle of the cabin, telling Nico to get comfortable as he figured out how to hook up a large projector. Nico didn't bother to help him because as of now, Will was under the impression that he didn't know anything about modern technology. While he fiddled with a handful of wires, Nico reached over to pick up a baby blue blanket that was patterned with rows of tiny white clouds.
When he touched it, he almost gasped because it was just so incredibly soft. It was to the point where he complied with the sudden urge to wrap it around himself and let it engulf him until it covered every inch of his body like a massive burrito. There was a chuckle beside him.
“Yeah, that was one of the goodbye presents my mom gave me before I first came to camp,” said Will. He clicked a button and pumped his fist when the projector flickered to life. What a dork. “She bought it when she was tourin’ in Cali, I think.”
“Oh. Do you want to use it?”
He shook his head, golden curls bouncing. “Nah, you look cute with it.”
Nico felt his face grow warmer, but it wasn’t from the blanket.
Eventually, after a few minutes of shuffling around, Will was able to finally start playing the first movie. The intro music blasted through the speakers and Nico leaned back against the nearest bed. Will settled down right next to him, stretching his legs out and hugging his own blanket to his chest. It wasn’t long before Nico noticed something about him.
While Bianca had been a silent viewer, who focused all of her energy on being fully immersed in whatever they were watching, Will, on the other hand, was a talkative one. He would mutter little facts about different characters, point out his favorite scenes, and even yell whenever he thought someone was making a stupid decision despite already knowing what was going to happen next.
As time passed, Nico found himself paying more attention to Will than the actual movie because he had never seen the son of Apollo so passionate before. Sure he had his moments where he passive-aggressively forced proper healthcare onto people or when he was ranting about some sort of revolutionary medical discovery, but this was an entirely new side of him.
And Nico couldn’t help but enjoy experiencing every second of it.
When the credits started to roll, Will turned to look at Nico expectantly. “Well? What did y’think?”
Nico tapped a finger on his chin. “It’s interesting,” he said, which made Will beam. He seemed so happy that Nico almost felt sorry for what he was about to say next. “I think Luke and Leia would make a cute couple.”
Will’s face immediately fell and it took everything in him not to laugh.
“I…” he sighed. “Y’know what? Let’s just finish watchin’ the trilogy. Then we’ll come back to that thought.”
—
“She literally just kissed him. Why are you so against it? Do you not believe in true love?”
“Oh my gods, Nico. You’re gonna give me an aneurysm. Just keep watching.”
—
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
—
The dinner horn sounded right as the third movie finished and somehow, Nico had ended up tucked against Will’s side, leaning his head on his shoulder with an arm thrown around his waist.
Their position was the reason for the many skeletal butterflies that were constantly fluttering around in his stomach. They performed intricate loops and twirls inside of him that normally would have sent him reeling back in embarrassment, but he was just so warm and comfortable that he couldn't bear to move.
And he became even more so when Will started to run his hand through his mess of dark hair.
“So?” he mumbled. “Final thoughts on the movies?”
Nico hummed, closing his eyes at the soothing motion. “It was pretty good I guess. Four and a half out of five stars.”
“Four and a half?! No, no, no. You’re wrong. It’s a perfect five.”
He hid his grin in the fabric of Will’s shirt. “I think I’m allowed to have my own opinions, Solace.”
“It’s not an opinion. It’s a fact.”
“I just don’t get why the old Jedi guy just let himself get killed.”
Will gasped and pushed him away dramatically. “You did not just disrespect Obi-wan Kenobi’s name like that-”
At that point, Nico should’ve come clean and admitted to Will that he had lied about not watching Star Wars as a joke. Except, after spending so much time together in one sitting not in the infirmary, and seeing a whole different part of him that he guessed only his siblings had known about, Nico wasn’t quite ready for it all to end.
And he was a coward. He was afraid that since Will revealed himself to him in such a raw and genuine light, Nico would immediately break his trust if he found out it had all been just a ruse. He didn’t want that. Even imagining the look on Will’s face made his heart clench painfully. If it had been anyone else, besides his sisters, Nico wouldn’t have cared so much. But, this was Will.
After the Giant War had ended, the son of Apollo had managed to plow straight through all of his defenses. He had never flinched at Nico’s unwavering, and often unnerving, gaze. He had never done anything outside of his comfort zone. And he had flipped his world upside down so much with his sunny smiles and doctor’s notes that he had eventually become a constant and comforting presence in his life.
It was a presence that reminded him to eat three meals a day. A presence that wrapped his wounds with a gentle but firm touch. And a presence that Nico didn’t think he could live without.
Because…because…
Ah, shit.
His eyes widened at the realization as Will mentioned something about planning an ‘actual movie night’ later that weekend, a freckled hand still curled in his hair.
He couldn’t lose him because somehow, Will had wormed his way so far into Nico’s heart that he had ended up falling for him.