Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Nico has been staring at the pitch black ceiling above him listening to the muted hum of cicadas and crickets outside his cabin. Maybe it had been hours, but it’s not like he could tell. Whose brilliant idea was it to paint this ceiling black? He wondered to himself as the void seemingly inched closer. 

Maybe you’re finally losing it . As if he hasn’t been already. At least nobody has taken notice of it yet, any of it. And he intends to keep it that way. What business do they have with him anyways? It’s not like he would be there too long anyways. 

The war was finally over and Gaea is defeated, hopefully for a long time. And people seemed happy, or as happy as people can be after a war. In fact, a few people even talked to him. Probably just because it’s still in the post-battle blur, it's only been a few days anyways. Bianca would scold him for having such low standards, but it’s not like she’s here to see who he’s become. 

At least before… everything, he could tell himself she was still watching over him. But now, she’s really gone forever, and no amount of power can bring her back. She chose to leave. Just his luck, as soon as he was able to reach Elysium after the Doors of Death opened, Nico's told he missed Bianca reincarnating by just a couple of weeks. He’s so damn intolerable that his own sister decided to leave him alone forever. 

Slowly, sleep starts to lure him in. His enemy and his comfort. Nico doesn’t quite know how to describe it, but he hates being awake as much as he hates being asleep. He just doesn’t want to be at all, more accurately. Darkness takes over his vision as figures start to arise, dancing across his eyes. Around him, Half-Blood Hill forms. A warm presence forms next to him.

“Octavian” a whisper in his ear sends a twinge up his spine.

His body is radiating with pain. It feels like his bones are on fire and like he’s ready to collapse any second. Nico has no idea how he’s still standing. He vaguely remembers shadow traveling and Will yelling at him, but he’s not sure. It feels like the world’s spinning, his vision is swimming as the sounds of battle roars all around him. Everything is everywhere and he feels nowhere. 

Then he sees it: Will's horror as Nico lets Octavian launch towards their friends, the second sun exploding in the sky, only two figures free falling. The camp somehow heating up even more than the thick summer air already was as the nova filled the sky. The silence. 

Then, the all too familiar feeling of a tug deep in his soul, the pull of death. His chest tightening as an image of Leo— dead, any glow he once had fizzled out, deep in a wooded area. Some deaths cannot be prevented . Repeats in Gaea’s voice over and over as he instinctively reaches for the grass, for the cooling comfort of the shadows. 

“No!” A desperate voice calls out before everything fades to black. 

Swirling around him are the voices of everyone. The reasons he never stayed anywhere. The memories of it overwhelm his vision. He feels like his chest and soul is imploding. He wishes that it was him instead. He doesn’t deserve to be here still. He’s just on borrowed time.

Nico is abruptly awoken by a voice outside and knocking on his door. There’s some relief that comes with being shaken out of the nightmare, but gods does he hate being awake. Being awake means he has to feel the pain again. He never got why people knocked, it's not like he can lock the cabin door, but he appreciates the respect for his privacy. It would be worse if people just came in, so he shouldn’t complain. 

Then it all hits him again. His chest starts to strangle him as his breathing quickens. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. It's never good to catch him in the morning, the few times he sleeps, this always happens. He stumbles to the bathroom and catches a glimpse of somebody through the window, thank gods his younger self had the wits about him to build one in his cabin. Nico's arms feel more numb with every step and he feels himself floating away from the knocking outside.

“Nico! I know that you're awake. I literally just saw you move! C’mon man!” the voice outside calls, dragging Nico back to Earth. 

Ah, it's Jason. Nico is only a little disappointed that it's not Will. Not that he blames him, Will must think he's a monster after the battle. He would avoid himself too, but he can’t. He’s stuck with himself, unfortunately. 

“Be there in a minute!” Nico shouts from the bathroom. 

Gripping the cold sink Nico runs one hand under the water and runs it up his arms. Yep, still here . Closer to reality again, Nico, forces himself to breathe. Dentro e fuori. In and out. Nico's hand conducts his breathing, flowing up and down in front of his body as he finds his footing again. The world’s only spinning a little bit now.

“Coming, did nobody teach you patience?” he asks half jokingly to the continued knocking outside. 

“You look like death himself,” Jason says as soon as Nico opens the door.

“I wouldn't quite say so,” Nico answers blankly. 

He always thought he had a bit of a different look than him, taking more after his mother than anything else. People sometimes notice the similarities between him and his dad, though. Nobody’s really said anything to him since Bianca died. He also hasn’t made it a habit to talk to anybody since she died. There’s nobody worth talking to.

Jason sighs. Nico winces, I should have known it was just a joke, why are you like this? No wonder he's disappointed. No wonder Will hasn't spoken to him. No wonder he doesn't belong anywhere. No wonder—

“Earth to Nico? Hello?” Jason asks.

Nico is ripped back to his front door, wondering how long they've been standing there. He's been letting himself slip too much ever since the war ended.

“Sorry,” Nico mumbles, twisting his skeleton ring nervously, “What did you want?” 

He tries to ask as gently as he can, trying to make sure his tone didn't come off as too cold. People always say that he comes off as cold, standoffish. He doesn’t ever really mean to, it’s just how he sounds. Gods, he wished he could just be normal. 

“No worries,” Jason then continues to talk about New Rome, his plans, Ella the harpy, among other things. 

Nico pipes in every once in a while, not even completely sure what he's saying. Apparently he agrees to a hug because before he knows it, he has revealed he's staying at Camp Half-Blood and Jason has him in this tight embrace. Across the way Nico spots somebody waving at him and he quickly excuses himself. His world coming back into focus, Nico realizes it’s Will Solace. And he doesn’t seem happy with Nico at all. Makes sense.

“So where were you??” Will demands. 

Nico apprehensively approaches the Apollo cabin. Will’s blue eyes, gorgeous as the Venetian waters of home, pulls him deeper into the conversation. Well, more like Will’s talking at him. That’s fine with Nico, he doesn’t need to say anything. Very seldom does he find himself needing to say anything these days. 

Truth is: he’s been in his cabin. In fact, Nico hasn't left once since the battle and funerals ended. His body feels like it’s on fire as he stands at the cabin entrance, every little bone stabbing him and his brain constantly moving 100mph. Everything is moving too fast and he just hasn’t been able to get himself to move at all.

The mental part surprises nobody, but the physical aspect is absolutely wrecking him. The son of Hades tries to subtly shift his weight in hopes of some relief. It doesn’t work. This is the longest he's been upright in days. It's taking absolutely all of his effort to pay attention to Will and look like he isn't in massive amounts of pain. To add insult to injury, he’s starting to get more and more dizzy. Oh shit, I still haven't answered— 

“What do you mean?” Nico manages to spit out, keeping up the facade as much as he can. 

He takes a deep breath and tries to casually grab the cabin railing. They truly call him nonchalant Nico. Everything is fine, di Angelo. You’re fine. Just be normal for once. 

Will begins to ramble, talking about how busy the infirmary has been and how it wouldn’t have killed Nico to show up for a couple minutes to be a friendly face. Every once in a while, Nico slips in a word or two. He’s not sure if he’s trying to convince Will that he’s okay or himself. He’s the son of the Big Three, he has raised armies of the dead, split the ground apart, been to unspeakable places, of course he’s perfectly fine. 

“Right now you couldn’t summon a wishbone without melting into a puddle of darkness, di Angelo,” Will scoffs.

Okay true, but ouch he didn’t have to say it like that. Nico finds himself lost in Will's… everything as the blonde boy continues on. His wild curls cascading around his face, messy from the exhaustion of the infirmary, his voice filled with love despite sounding angry, his hands wildly gesturing, his gorgeous face. You are so disgusting, a disgrace on your mortal and godly bloodlines. Before he can self-deprecate any more, a jolt shoots up Nico’s arm as Will grabs it and begins marching them towards the infirmary.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. Nico is aware enough to know he wouldn’t be able to keep up with Will’s ADHD riddled determination. Each step sends shooting pain up his legs to the base of his neck, his arms and breathing growing heavier as Will keeps dragging Nico behind him. They get about 10 feet from the Apollo cabin before Nico collapses.

“Merda cazzo!” Nico whisper yells to himself. 

Regaining his composure he looks up to see Will stopped in his tracks with a look of concern, or maybe pity. Come up with something quick, di Angelo! How are you going to explain this one? Nico forces out an airy laugh. 

“I must’ve tripped over a rock or something, I’m fine, let's keep going.” Nico says, convincing absolutely nobody. 

Nico yanks his hand away from Will’s, bringing his hands together to fidget with his skull ring. Just keep breathing, you can’t embarrass yourself any more. You’ve already embarrassed yourself enough. He subtly tries to control his breathing, but he starts to feel his heart beat faster. To his surprise, Will sits down in the dirt next to him.

“No worries, sometimes I get a little too eager. It's been so busy the past few days I forget to slow down,” Will says nonchalantly, although his face still looks laced with concern. 

“It’s fine,” replies Nico.

Nico watches as the son of Apollo pulls out a deck of playing cards from one of his many cargo shorts pockets “I always make sure to have these on me, it's good for breaks. Do you have a favorite game to play?” Will asks. 

Nico nods, “Gin rummy,” as he tries to subtly bring his awkwardly sprawled legs to his chest using his hands, his legs not having enough strength to move on their own at this point. 

Will chuckles, “You’re lucky I grew up spending so much time with my grandparents. I guess you did too.” 

Nico had no clue that gin rummy would have dated him so much. He usually tries his best to keep the fact he was born in 1924 a secret, he's already enough of a freak being the son of Hades. Nonetheless, he appreciates that Will isn't bringing too much attention to them. Well, as little attention as there can be when you start playing gin rummy in the middle of a walkway. As Will deals the cards and the game begins, Nico is finally able to calm down enough to process what Will is saying and the game. 

After a few rounds, Nico’s body stops screaming at him. Now it's just the normal sharp pain he's been dealing with since he got back to camp. And far before then . But don't tell anybody that. Or the fact that the few moments he can get his body to cooperate his brain seems to want him dead. 

Will overdramatically sighs, “How did you win 5 games in a row? You have to be cheating!” 

Nico shrugs with a small smirk.

Will picks up the cards and stows them back in his pocket, “Feeling ready to keep going?”’ he asks as he stands up and wipes the dust off his shorts. 

Nico nods, looking up at Will's outreached hand. Gods, he is so beautiful when the sun shines behind him . Nico carefully moves his so they're underneath him, the optimal position to get up from sitting on the floor. Using all his strength, he tries to push himself up with his arms— without much success and promptly falling down. Cazzo! 

Will stretches out his other arm to Nico. Way to go Niccolò, he definitely thinks you're pathetic now . Admitting defeat, Nico grabs Will's outstretched forearms and pushes his legs away from the ground as Will, who's surprisingly strong, grasps Nico's forearms and pulls him upwards. Will's firm but gentle hold feels so warm and stabilizing, for the first time in weeks Nico feels truly grounded. 

“Let's get to the infirmary.” Will says, gesturing for Nico to lead the way.

Chapter Text

Upon arriving at the infirmary, Will leads Nico through a room of curtains and sparsely filled beds to a private room. Nico stands awkwardly near the door with his hands in his jacket pockets until Will motions for him to sit on the hospital bed. 

Grazie agli dei— thank the gods. The walk wasn't particularly far, especially with the small forced break, but it's still the most mobile Nico has been in days. As a result, his legs are burning in pain and he feels like he could collapse at any second. 

“Okay, so I'm going to start by asking you some basic questions. Just normal doctor stuff, I don't think you've ever been here before, right?” Will asks. 

Nico gets settled sitting on the bed, letting out a deep breath he didn't realize he was holding. It feels so good to not be standing anymore. It feels like the world isn’t underwater, like he can actually hear what Will’s saying to him. 

“Yeah, always took care of myself or went to the Underworld if I needed anything” replies Nico, glazing over how much Bianca once cared for him. 

“Full name?” continued Will, with only a slight look of concern. 

“Niccolò Matteone di Angelo,” he answers. 

Will stares blankly at Nico for a few seconds until he starts to ramble “I cannot even begin to try to spell that, I’m sorry. It’s hard for me to catch different languages and for my dyslexia to cooperate with it, if you wouldn’t mind—”

“It's fine, I get it. I can write it but my handwriting is awful,” Nico interrupts. Americans can never spell his name.

Growing up, he always got into so much trouble with teachers for his handwriting. It just hurt his hands so much, he never understood how some of his classmates could look so fine after a full day of practicing. Even if he could make his handwriting decent, he’d get in trouble for the way that he holds the pencil or whatever.

“We all have awful handwriting here, don't worry.” Will affirms, passing the clipboard to Nico, “Just that top line there, I won't make you fill out any more than that.”

Nico carefully writes his name down, trying to make it look as legible as possible.

Will takes a look at it when he gets the clipboard back, “Niccolò Matteone di Angelo, that's some grand name, what does it mean?” 

It’s pronounced a little wrong, but Nico doesn’t mind, “Niccolò for Greek Nikolaos, victory of the people. Matteone for Matthew because my mother was Catholic. Di Angelo is her surname and means ‘the angel.’ It’s all Italian.” 

“That's so cool! Mine is pretty boring in comparison. Real American moment, I know,” Will responds, “Anyways, when’s your birthday?”

“January 28th,” Nico hopes Will doesn't pry any further than that. 

Only the Seven and Chiron really know the truth as far as he's aware. He wants to keep it like that. There’s no reason for anybody to know more, right?

“... No year? You're like what, 14? Right?” Will jokingly asks, searching for the right year in his brain and beginning to write. 

“Why do you need my birthday?” Nico asks defensively, stopping Will in his tracks. 

Fuck, I didn't want to come off that rude, way to go. Nico scolds himself. It has always been so hard for him to control his tone when his legs were this bad. When he’s trying to focus on not screaming from the pain, it’s just hard to keep everything else up to par. 

Much to Nico's surprise, Will responds patiently, “In case anything ever happens that we can't treat and we have to take you somewhere else, it's so they know what's happening with you developmentally and— ”

“1924,” Nico cuts him off. 

Something about this healer makes Nico trust him, it's almost like he's using charmspeak with the trance he casts on Nico. But that's impossible, he's a son of Apollo, not Aphrodite. Unless Apollo has some niche domain that he doesn’t know about, but that seems less likely.

“What? I mean, sounds good. I'm just going to choose peace and not ask,” Will determines, although a bit warily. 

Nico smirks a bit, feeling proud of maintaining his dark and mysterious reputation at least somewhat. He's glad that Will doesn't seem too freaked out about it, Nico really doesn't want to scare him off. He doesn't completely understand why Will is being so kind to him, it’s not like he did anything to deserve it. If he was Will, he’d be running for the hills long before they got to this point. Remember Nico, you’re a murderer. He's never going to like you. 

“Where were you born?” Will asks, interrupting the whole mess Nico was about to get into with himself. 

“Venezia—Venice, sorry— Italy” Nico replies, silently cursing at himself for not having enough awareness to keep it in English. 

Even though he had been so young when he came to the United States, at his core he still thinks in Italian. Especially when it comes to home. Even more so these days since he doesn’t really talk to anybody. When he talks to himself, it’s in Italian more than anything else.

All these questions are slowly making Nico more and more anxious. When will this be over? This feels longer than when I was in the Casino.  Of course, Will then asks another one. 

“When was the last time you went to a doctor?”

That’s a complicated one. Nico hasn’t been to any doctor since coming to America, and doesn’t remember ever really going to an office in Italy. Well, when he was really young a doctor came to his home once. It was early fall or maybe winter, and he was sicker than he had ever been before. Growing up, Nico was always the first in his class to get sick and the last to come back after recovering. 

Bianca had gotten sick too this time, but got better after a few days. But it had seemed like Nico had been sick for weeks. He was up at all hours but also sleeping far too much, and just couldn’t seem to breathe. It was his first memory of when his body started hurting so much . One night, it had gotten so bad that he couldn’t seem to catch his breath at all, it was just shallow wheezing and wet coughing. 

After many desperate prayers to any gods out there, his mother held Nico outside in the cool air as a last ditch attempt as she sent Bianca to run for the doctor. Nico doesn’t remember too much of that night, but when he awoke he could breathe better and there were a bunch of scattered beakers, syringes, and medications his mamma had to mix everyday for the following weeks. Ever since then, he never seemed to have as much breath as he wanted, though.

“Probably 1930 or so. I was really little, it was in Italy. He came to my house,” Nico decides to go with after taking a little too long to respond. I really hope that Will doesn't read into the pause too much. 

Will poorly hides his face of shock, taking a bit too long to write down the brief answer. Nico really hopes this doesn’t go too much longer and nervously twists his skull ring. A familiar knot begins to arise in his chest. 

“I think that wraps up my questions, now the physical exam, I need you to get up so I can take your height and weight.”

Overconfidently, Nico hops off the bed and just barely catches himself before falling. Hopefully that wasn’t too obvious. He takes a deep breath before joining Will across the room at the scale. Yep, still a proud 5’6” . As he turned around to be weighed, Nico looked at the corner of the room and prayed that Will didn’t notice his aversion to the numbers. After a few moments of furiously writing, Will gestures back towards the bed. 

“This part I need to touch your chest and back with this stethoscope, it’s a bit cold. Are you okay with that?” Will asks.

“Yeah it’s fine,” he nods.

Nico you better be normal about this. Don’t think about how beautiful and kind he’s being to you. He’s just your doctor and there’s no way he actually likes you . It probably didn't help Nico's cause that he was getting so worked up. As Will moves the metal disc around his chest, he keeps taking deep breaths as instructed.

Will has a slightly concerned look, maybe confused, “Do you have asthma?”

The fuck is that word? Nico gives a confused look back, “What?”

“Sorry, forgot you didn’t have access to doctors really. Your breathing, does it ever feel weird or hard to do?” Will tries to explain

“Sometimes. Nothing I can’t handle though,” Nico states, confident that he gave the right answer. 

He did not.

“Whatever you say, di Angelo,” Will sighs. 

Shit shit shit shit shit. You really messed it up now. If he didn’t think you were weird before, he definitely does now. Nico starts rapidly tapping his ring against his other hand. Not now Nico, you can’t do this now. He thinks to himself as he tries to plan the best next move. None of them seem good, he wishes he could just reach down to the shadows and disappear. 

“I can tell this is getting to be a bit much for you. I understand that this can be really uncomfortable, a lot of the campers here hate it too. If you’re okay with it, I can read what’s going on with you if you let me touch your hands for a minute or so,” the son of Apollo offers.

Nico nods a little too eagerly for his liking and stretches out his hands. They are ghastly pale and have dirt caked in them— such is the life of the Ghost King though. 

Will gently holds his hands, closing his eyes as if to concentrate. Nico feels a pulse of warmth from his hands radiate throughout his body, as if the sun himself just touched him. A sigh of relief escapes him. Before Nico has the chance to relish in it too long, Will lets go of his hands and the world goes back to its normal coldness. 

“Thanks for letting me do that, I know it takes vulnerability. My last question is, do you have any family medical history?” Will asks gently. 

“I just sat here, it's nothing. And no, nothing I know at least,” Nico shakes his head, trying not to think too much about how much he misses the healer’s warmth. 

“Give yourself some credit, I swear I try to read some people who ask and then they try to hide things like I wouldn't notice. We're a team, di Angelo.” Will retorts, smiling warmly. 

Gods, I swear he's doing this on purpose. Nico just smiles looking like a damn fool. 

“Anyways, I'll let you rest while I finish filling this out, somebody should be by to bring some lunch,” Will gets up, washing his hands and gathering up the papers he filled out. 

Admittedly, Nico is anything but hungry right now, he hasn’t really felt hungry since returning , but nods in agreement in hopes of making it seem like he’s more functional than he actually is. It’s not that he doesn’t want to eat, it’s just that everything feels a little bit repulsive. Probably something to do with the whole… situation he was in. Yep, they call you Niccolò Completely Healthy Matteone di Angelo. 

“No pomegranate, please. I’m… uh, I’m allergic” Nico adds unconvincingly. 

He internally face palms, no son of Hades would feasibly be allergic to pomegranate. Will seemed unbothered by the lie, and assured he would note that in his chart. 

As Will turns the corner towards the front desk, Nico's fatigue finally catches up with him. Once again, he is dragged into the same nightmares that have been haunting him since the Doors of Death were opened.

Chapter Text

Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone” -Exodus 7:19

Nico was raised to know Hell, as any other self-respecting Catholic in the early 1900s. It was drilled into him between his Catholic schools, the daily mass, and his mother’s prayers at home. Hell is something to be feared, something never seen but known. A place for sinners. 

Whatever this place was nothing like what he was told to expect. It is nothing like the Underworld he believed that he knew so well. The painfully familiar sulfurous air of There overwhelms his senses. The Mist offers the son of Hades no protection in this godless land. Before his eyes forms the image of the darkest part of the underworld. 

In front of him, the land is alive. Not in that way that people describe really beautiful places like mountains or whatever. It’s in the literal way. No metaphors. It is His body. It is moving and breathing in the most horrifying ways. And most importantly? He wants Nico to fucking die. 

With each step its flesh oozes as pools of blood and ichor soak his shoes. It feels like it’s burning his feet from the inside out and outside in again. There is a cascading waterfall that was almost beautiful, until Nico saw the hordes of monsters emerging from the deep red water. There is no water in the Pit, the Phlegethon River violently splashing its flames onto the glass beaches until it is soaked with red. The roaring of screams overwhelms his hearing. 

This is the price Nico pays for being the son of Hades. For being alive. For his father defying Time himself for protecting him and Bianca. The Fates and Tartarus offer Nico no leniency, his life is the punishment for the actions of his father. To show revenge, Tartarus reveals his true self, refusing to allow any Mist to conceal any part of him. No amount of prayers can save him here. Once again, Nico is doomed to the miserable fate of all Hades children. He is completely and utterly alone. 

The vision continues to flash the horrors of the Pits, rapidly cycling through each gore-filled, monster-ridden moment. The only semblance of respite being the gooey orbs of ichor and blood containing the Titans and monsters reforming. Particles swirl around them, almost like fireflies, until Nico realizes it is life force returning to his enemies. They all turn and writhe, eager to kill the infamous son of Hades. 

His body is on fire, not literally but just about. The pain of all the souls lost in There pulsing through the son of Hades. Nico walked for what felt like days, his Stygian steel blade serving as a walking stick. It’s the only way he could keep this up. Gods, he just wants to give up. Allow the primordial to destroy him. It’d be easier that way.

He hopelessly prays to himself that he would be able to control his powers enough that he doesn’t accidentally open the ground in his haze. The ever-shifting ground seemingly wanting to swallow Nico— he was terrified to allow himself to stop for a single moment. The quicksand being flesh of the pits, with the putrid smell of rancid flesh. Nico strains to think of anything other than this place, of any home, but is drained of any glimmer of hope as he is reminded how miserably alone he is everywhere. 

The Pits offer him constant imagery of the people he knows. Dying. In every way imaginable. They permeate in his mind as he traverses the terrain. Their blood fills the waters of this godless place. The deceit of the place overwhelming his death sense, not being able to tell what is real imagery or not. 

As each second passes, a new voice or vision overtakes his senses, screaming that Nico had killed them. Around him, giants rise out of the thick maroon waters and begin charging towards him. Nico tries to run, but the ground begins to swallow him as the giants descend upon him. Everything burns. Everything is red. He would be lucky to die here. 

Nico.

Nico!

NICO!

The world begins to shake and crumble. He is being crushed by the Pits. Nico's eyes shoot open.

Chapter Text

Immediately, Nico's vision is flooded with bright light. He involuntarily shoots up to a sitting position in the bed, seized by too much panic to feel the physical consequences of getting up so fast. His chest constricts in an all too familiar way as he hyperventilates and his heart races, squeezing his eyes shut with the light being too much compared to That Place. 

He tightly wraps his arms around his torso, sinking his nails into his sides hoping to feel he is still real. His entire body is vibrating, as if thousands of needles are consuming him. Nico tries to get up from the bed to stumble towards the bathroom, but something is holding him back. He spots water from his untouched lunch and rips off his aviator jacket to dump the ice water in his hands and run it up his arms, hoping the cold will shock him back to reality enough to breathe. 

Nico moves his shaky hands to his forearms that are wrapped around his legs, digging his nails into his forearms as he curls into himself hyperventilating still but able to feel the world around him again. He sobs as he rocks back and forth, searching for any kind of relief. It feels so far away, he’s convinced it’ll never come. Maybe, if he’s lucky, he’ll die so he doesn’t have to feel like this anymore. 

A gentle voice next to him nearly whispers, laced with concern, “Nico? Nico? Can I touch you?” 

Nico nods, against his better judgment. He can never really tell if touch is going to help or hinder him when this happens, but at this point he's desperate. One hand gingerly takes one of Nico's hands from his forearms and holds it over their chest so Nico feels a heartbeat, while another hand wraps around his frame and rubs his back in slow circular movements. 

Eventually, Nico becomes present enough that he removes his other hand from his forearm to do the same thing he always does when this happens. It’s all he knows to do that works when he can’t stop freaking out like this. Even then, it barely works enough. 

“Dentro e fuori,” he repeatedly mutters to himself as his hand shakily moves up and down in front of his body. 

After a few more minutes, he calms down enough to feel like he can talk and actually look around the room when he realizes the person next to him is none other than Will Solace. Fuck. 

“Sorry. You don't have to stay. Just a nightmare,” Nico barely whispers, still being embraced by the son of Apollo. 

He’s surprised he’s even able to be that loud, talking is always hard after nightmares— especially in English. 

Nico knows he should have seen this coming, sleeping in new places always makes it worse. There's a reason he never really slept on the Argo II. With calming down though, Nico once again becomes painfully aware of how much his body hurts, ribs still aching from his labored breathing. He'll probably never admit it, but that was one of the worst panic attacks he's had in awhile. Only the gods could say how long that would have taken if Will hadn't helped him. Or what he would have done. 

“No need to be sorry. I’m okay with staying,” Will responds, “You shouldn’t have to be alone right now.”

As much as Nico hates to admit, it’s quite nice to have somebody with him. On the Argo II, he cooped up in the lookout or his room most of the time so nobody could notice anything was wrong, and he’s been doing the same thing at camp in his cabin. He had gotten so used to taking care of himself, he forgot how nice it is to have somebody.  Will’s warmth radiates off of him, seeping into Nico’s frame and grounding him; he truly is the son of Apollo in every way. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Will asks Nico, quickly adding, “No pressure if you don’t want to, we can just sit here or I can try to distract you too if you’d like.”

Nico appreciates the gesture, a part of him wants to talk about it, his father always scolds him for never talking to his friends about, as he says, “normal kid things” and “more than just battle strategy and dead things.” Ouch, but the god had a fair point. Maybe Nico got more than just underworld powers from his father. At the same time, he wouldn’t wish the burden of knowing That Place for what it truly was on anybody, especially not Will.

“Exodus 7:19.” Nico says, carefully choosing his words. 

The Seven, Chiron, and Mr. D were the only ones at camp who knew where he had been, and they didn’t know the full extent of what he saw. He is far from a practicing Catholic these days, it didn’t seem right knowing his father was a literal Greek god, but that doesn’t change that the countless hours at church, Catholic school, and with his devout mother is ingrained in his soul and etched in his brain despite that efforts of the Lethe. 

A part of Nico regrets it as soon as he lets the words leave his mouth, knowing that he just revealed something he hasn’t told anybody since leaving the Casino. Telling somebody about his life in Italy. He’s not even sure if anybody in the Greek world knows that he can remember his life in Italy. 

Will looks as though he is searching the air when Nico says that, then refocuses on Nico, eyes wide with the realization. “The first plague, water to blood.” Will blurts out without realizing. 

Nico apprehensively nods.

“I’m from Texas,” Will explains, “You don't have to say more if you don't want to or can't. From what I can tell, it's overwhelming, traumatizing stuff and I'm just a stranger. Just know that I'm here for you and you are safe in the infirmary with me.” 

After sitting in silence for a while, Nico shifts away from Will a bit once he feels more confident that he's calmed back to his baseline. As much as he loves the feeling of Will holding him, he doesn't want to come off too weirdly. He can't think you're more of a freak than you already are. Even though you let him see you like this. 

Nico looks down at his lap and realizes he's absolutely covered in ice water still. He knows that the whole water thing isn't the world's most practical and it's such a pain to clean up afterwards. But, there's worse things he could do to cope. There's worse things I have actually done, but Will can never know. 

“Do you have a towel?” Nico timidly asks, breaking the long silence. 

Will chuckles, “Yeah, let me go grab one.” 

When Will returns, Nico starts drying off his legs and arms when it hits him, he had taken off his jacket in front of Will, something he was very much trying to avoid. His arms had seen better days, to say the least. Nico doesn't know if it's better or worse that most of it is covered by the still-bleeding new nail marks he had just made. 

Regardless of how he looks to the healer, Nico knows he has to wash off the blood or else it will trigger him again. You sure found that one out the hard way Nico quips to himself, wincing at the memory from a few years back. Even before… everything he found himself in this horrible loop for days of panic attacks and re-triggering himself. Nico carefully tries to wipe away the blood with the towel, trying not to show how much it hurts— without success.

“Here, let me help you,” the blonde boy offers, quickly adding “if you want help, that is.”

Nico hesitates, but eventually nods knowing that he barely has enough energy to keep sitting up right now, let alone finish cleaning up himself. Sometimes, he misses the days when he had the energy to do more, back when he could raise armies of the dead without missing a beat. 

“I’m sorry,” Nico mutters. 

As a warm rag is pressed against his arm, Nico loves the way it feels. At the same time, he feels so guilty for making this Will’s problem. Surely there are other more important patients that need attention. Yet here I am, with my dumb fucking brain, causing problems for everybody and being a burden.

“I’m going to have to put a couplets curse on you if you don’t stop apologizing for things out of your control,” Will lightly quips, “Not actually. But seriously, there’s nothing you need to be sorry about.”

Then Nico hears a small gasp from Will as the cloth abruptly pauses on his arm. Nico flinches, knowing what Will just realized. Fuck. Leave it to you and your fucked up brain to keep ruining everything again. 

“Where in the world did these gashes come from?!” Will blurts out 

He’s while looking at the messily stitched wounds on his bicep, catching Nico completely off guard. I definitely didn’t expect that to be the thing that Will brings up. Surely he had to have seen all the other scars. He probably just doesn’t want to freak you out again. He probably thinks you’re just weak. 

“Oh. Yeah, Lycaon,” Nico responds, realizing he let himself spiral for a little longer than socially acceptable, “He nicked me in Portugal.”

“Nicked? These must feel like acid. I’ve heard about what his claws can feel like. I can’t believe it, nicked?!” Will exclaims, his feelings hard to discern. 

Nico shrugs. Truthfully, the pain wasn’t that bad compared to what he’s used to. He’s been so occupied with everything else, the scratches just didn’t come to his mind. Plus, it’s not like Lycaon’s damage is the thing making him collapse in front of very pretty boys or anything. 

“I don’t think that stitches will be enough for this, let me see what else I can do. I remember Hedge saying that nectar and ambrosia didn’t do much for you when you had your… incident. I don’t think it’s worth trying it again on this if they already tried…” Will rambles, trying to form a plan, “Okay, the only option left is healing. Have you been healed before? It can feel weird.”

“No, never had to be,” Nico replies, getting a little lost in Will’s words. 

“Okay. So what happens is I’m going to touch the gashes, which will feel normal. Then I’ll start singing an ancient Greek hymn to my dad and it will probably feel warm and tingly, some people find it a bit overstimulating though. It doesn’t take too long though,” Will explains, Nico nodding and humming in agreement, “Alright, I’m going to get started then.”

Grimacing in pain as Will lays his hands on Nico's bicep, the searing feeling radiates through his body. Why does it suddenly hurt so much? I swear, it didn’t hurt so much before.

Then the healer begins to sing a beautiful melody, it feels like warm summer days in Venice with his family swimming in the sea. The power of Apollo, his sun, massages his wound and for the first time, the prickling feeling of needles in his arms feels comforting. When Will removes his hands, Nico sighs in relief, damn I suppose it was that bad . All that’s left are scars that blend into the rest of his arm. 

“Looks as good as it's going to get,” Will yawns, sitting down in the chair next to Nico, “I haven't healed anything laced with magic like that since Manhattan. I'm just going to monitor you from over here.” 

He immediately falls asleep. He looks really nice, relaxed.

Nico looks over at his still untouched lunch— a sandwich and what seemed like a piece of every fruit that the mess hall has besides pomegranate, neatly arranged. He begins to nibble on the fruit, smiling to himself. Maybe the infirmary isn't too bad.

Chapter Text

Nico tries to be silent for as long as he could to let the son of Apollo rest. Digging in his jacket pockets, he finds a small sketchbook and a pen. Another secret he tends to hide: he has always loved art. It was slow enough that it took a lot for it to start causing pain, he could do it laying down, and his hands would stop shaking as much. One of the only good things I’ve been able to keep after all this time. 

He stares at Will as the rays of sunshine on his face, almost like Will’s father is saying “Good job son, now rest.” He looks so gorgeous right now. As always. Absent-mindedly, Nico begins to move his pen across the page. Wild lines grow tighter as a form begins to appear. Before he knows it, Nico has filled the entire spread with various portraits of Will. Nobody can ever see this. 

He quickly turns the page and looks out the window, hoping to find some more discrete inspiration from his tiny view of the rest of camp. As captivating as Will is, it's definitely getting to a creepy point with the number of drawings he has and there's only so much he can do with one plain ass hospital room. 

Gods, this room is so boring when Will is asleep. It feels like it's been forever, Nico laments to himself.

He's fully aware this is his ADHD speaking. Annabeth explained it to him awhile back, along with Dyslexia. Another new thing since the new century started, which brought a whole new meaning to why he struggled so much in school and church when he was younger though. He just thought he was stupid.

Before he can get started with the new page, he feels a familiar rattling in his chest. Fuck, not now. 

Ever since he had been to Tartarus, Nico's had this cough he just can't shake. Not his lungs were ever great after he got sick all those years ago, but this had been absolutely wreaking havoc to his body since joining the Argo II. Let’s just say, Nico lucked out that Leo had made the rooms soundproof, or else nobody would have slept on that ship. Nico tries to breathe slowly to avoid coughing, but ends up just wheezing and worsening his cause.

I should've seen this coming, it's always worse after a panic attack. Stupid stupid stupid. And now you're going to annoy Will with your dumb problems and— before Nico can spiral more, he's interrupted by violent coughing. He glances at Will, checking if he's still sleeping, but his body demands he goes back to focusing on trying to breathe. Rude. 

Between coughs, he gets in a rare wheezy gasp. For the second time that day, Nico is pulled back to that one cold Venetian night with his Mamma. He tries to stand up to get more air into his lungs but collapses as soon as his feet touch the ground, still doubled over coughing as his body tenses trying to get any oxygen. At least from the floor, he's near a small trash can where he can spit out everything he's been coughing up into his hand. Gross, but what else can I do?  

Nico's coughing fit continues to drag on for what seems like forever when he feels a soft rubber mask cover his face and a steady flow of cool air. His coughing slows until he's mostly just wheezing. 

“You're sure good at giving a guy a scare, aren't you?” a worried voice next to him says. 

So much for letting Will rest. 

“Didn't want to wake you up, sorry about all of that,” Nico forces out between wheezes, removing the mask to speak.

“Keep that there, it's Albuterol. It opens up your lungs so you can breathe normally again,” Will instructs as he shoves the mask back onto the son of Hades’ face.

Nico nods in defeat, it's not like he's in any place to argue.

“Was that the ‘Nothing I can't handle’ you mentioned earlier when I asked about asthma? Nod to answer, no talking yet,” the healer sternly asks.

Nico shrugs, earning him an even more stern look from the son of Apollo. He tries to lightly chuckle a bit, but ends up coughing more instead. Will rubs Nico's back as he holds the nebulizer in place. 

“I'll take that as a yes. Do you know how dangerous this is to deal with alone? You could die without medicine! I swear, one of these days you're going to have to figure out that people actually want you alive and well,” Will scolds Nico. 

When the flow of medicine ends, Will takes out his stethoscope and listens to Nico's lungs again. Nico feels a lot better, but is still just trying to catch his breath. It usually takes a little bit after this happens.

Will sighs as he cracks another ampule of medicine into the machine and connects an oxygen line to it. “It looks like you're going to need another round plus some extra oxygen. And don’t think you can get out of this or be all sorry, I doubt you could talk right now without coughing or running out of breath.” 

Nico takes a breath and opens his mouth to argue. But only proves the healer right when he doubles over coughing again, removing the mask to spit out what was stuck in his lungs. He doesn't get yelled at, so he figures it was okay to do that. 

Really graceful, di Angelo. He'll definitely find you attractive now. And you're not even actually sick right now, Nico thinks to himself, shuddering at the memories of how bad he's gotten before. But this Albuterol stuff is like magic, I swear I haven't felt this good since before the Casino. 

As the second treatment finishes, Nico clears his throat, “Thanks for that.”

“You know we're going to have to talk about that, right? I woke up and you're not breathing and I can't sense any diseases like pneumonia in you. I don't mean to scare you with questions, but that was terrifying and I want to figure out what's going on and how we can treat it,” Will says firmly and filled with worry, shutting the machine off and cleaning up. 

Nico sighs, knowing he needs to tell the truth. He starts to talk tentatively, “It used to happen only sometimes when I was younger, usually when I was sick. But once I joined the Argo II, it got a lot worse and started happening more after nightmares. That was one of the worst ones though, usually I can get it under control myself in a few minutes,” he glances at the clock, realizing nearly 45 minutes have passed. 

“What changed?” asks Will.

Cazzo. Nico can barely bring himself to say the name of that place to the Argo crew who knew he was there, let alone a boy that he’s actively trying not to scare off. He spent so much time so alone, and the son of Apollo feels like his last hope for anything to maybe change. 

Not that Nico is particularly hopeful, nor does he understand why Will has been so nice to him since he returned with the Athena Parthenos. But believe it or not Nico does care a bit about what people think of him. Especially pretty people, for that matter. 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Nico settles on eventually.

“You don’t need to be specific, just give me anything that might help if you can. Please,” Will all but goes on his knees to beg, face still contorted with worry. 

Nico inhales sharply, torn between telling Will the truth to make him happy or protecting Will from the horrible reality that is his life, “I went to a place with not great air during the quest. Spent like a week or two there.”

“...Like smog?” Will asks.

“Sure. Like smog,” Nico responds, not even completely sure what smog is. 

“Okay so an… environmental thing caused your breathing to get worse, for you to have more of these attacks, and for your nightmares to be a trigger now. And it’s been ongoing, just not as bad, since you were little, especially when you were sick. I feel confident in saying this is probably a mix of asthma and chronic bronchitis. I’ve seen this in another camper here. Do you have any questions?” Will states, gaining confidence as he continues. 

“Can you say that again but differently?” Nico asks bluntly, not having a single clue about anything Will had just said. 

Will chuckles “Sorry, I get ahead of myself sometimes. Based on what you said, I think you have two things: asthma and chronic bronchitis. Neither of them will kill you if you take care of yourself. Chronic, not terminal.”

Nico nods, he knows those words so far. 

He continues, “Asthma is something I think you had when you were younger and now, where the airways in your lungs constrict sometimes and make it hard to breathe. The chronic bronchitis I think is newer, which is causing all those attacks that are worse like what you just had.”

Oh, that would make a lot of sense about like literally every time he's gotten sick his whole life. Here he was, just thinking it's totally normal to not be able to breathe sometimes. 

“But all of this is just a fancy way of saying you’ve had a cough for awhile where you cough up stuff and your lungs are not happy about it. It will be super manageable once we find you the right medication and routine, I don't think it's super super severe but it's still important to keep on top of. But you’re not alone in this, there’s other campers here experiencing the exact same thing as you are. It doesn’t make you a freak or weak or anything,” Will concludes. 

Nico nods slowly, starting to comprehend all what Will was saying and putting it all together. So many things are starting to click for him. Simultaneously, he's totally stunned that Will was able to read his worries that easily. Maybe it’s an Apollo thing, but I’d think that’s more Dionysius’ territory . 

“We do have to tell Chiron, though, who will probably tell Mr. D. It's important that it's not just me and you who know what's going on with you and how to keep you healthy,” Will continues, rightfully bracing for Nico to be upset. 

“Healthy?” Nico lets out a wheezy laugh before finding his words, “I would prefer to keep this quiet though. Is there any way we could try to keep this from getting to the whole camp… and my father?” 

“I can try my best to make sure that Chiron and Mr. D are as discreet as possible. They're surprisingly good about this kind of thing. As for your dad, I'm pretty sure he already knows. Parents always know. Especially omnipotent ones,” Will responds, lightening his tone at the end. 

“Fine. But swear that you'll do everything to keep it quiet.” Nico asserts. 

“Cross my heart and hope to die,” Will says.

Nico has no clue what that means, but he figures it's something good because Will follows it up with a quick thumbs up. Surely that means he'll be discreet, right?  

“Oh! Is this yours? It got dropped in the hullabaloo of everything,” Will asks, leaning over to pick up Nico's sprawled open sketchbook and pencil.

“OhShitYeahDon’tLookPlease,” Nico's eyes widening in realization. 

Will pauses and intensely looks at Nico, “Sorry, say again?”

“Yes, don't look at it please,” Nico repeats, only slightly less panicked. 

He obliges and shuts it before handing it to the other boy, “You got some deep dark secrets in there? A secret love for unicorns and rainbows?”

“What? No? That's none of your business,” Nico defends himself a little too quickly. 

“Shit, sorry. Oh shit, I'm not supposed to swear when I'm on shift. Fu—” Will responds, then takes a deep breath, “I shouldn't have been nosy, just joking around. I'm tired, haven't slept much the past couple days.”

Nico hesitates, “...It's fine. Uh, I shouldn't have been so harsh. Just I like my privacy.”

Before Will has the chance to respond to Nico, the doors of the room dramatically swing open to reveal the Seven, Coach Hedge, and Reyna shouting over each other expressing their concern for Nico. Merda. There goes discretion.

Chapter Text

“Why didn't you tell anyone you were in the infirmary?”

“Is this where you have been? 

“I haven't seen you since the battle.”

“Are you okay?”

“What happened?”

“Are you hurt?”

“What are all these machines?”

“How long have you been here?”

“What happened to your arms?”

“Why is it taking so long to heal?”

“What did they do to get you so… not shadows anymore?”

“I heard you fell the other day”

“Wait, you fell the other day? 

“Why did you fall?”

Nico's heart starts to pound, every sound starts to feel like a knife stabbing him. And he knows what that feels like. The lights seem brighter and everything is touching him at the same time. Nico clasps his hands over his ears and squeezes his eyes shut, hoping for it to pass.

 He can feel his breathing start to uptake again as his heart starts to beat out of his chest. Everything feels like too much and the feeling of his own skin makes him want to tear off completely. It gets harder and harder to try to pretend like he's keeping his shit together. 

“Everyone stop!” Will shouts over the group, causing Nico to violently flinch before the room falls to silence. 

Dentro e fuori. Dentro e fuori. In and out. You are so normal right now. Nico repeats to himself, trying to not let too much show as he slowly removes his hands from his head and opens his eyes to see everyone staring at him. 

“I got here this morning. I was in my cabin. I'm fine. Nothing happened. I don't know what they did or what anything here is. No, I didn't fall,” Nico blurts out.

He deems that lying an amount he sees as perfectly acceptable. Nico is more focused on trying to keep himself together than making sure his tone didn't come off as too harsh, anyways. So hopefully it doesn't read too horribly. Nico resists the urge to fidget with his hands. He prays that Will doesn't expose how overwhelmed Nico is. 

“This is a place of healing, y'all. You can be here but you can't be causing a whole ruckus. We all have ADHD here, but that was too much, let's be honest,” Will states firmly. 

Nico is relieved that Will didn't put more attention onto him. The group nods shamefully and stays silent for a good few beats. Now, the silence is unbearable. But he would rather die than be the one to break it. 

Jason, much quieter now, apologizes “Sorry. We were just worried, man. We hadn't really seen you in awhile. Except for this morning and you weren't doing so hot. Didn't know if you were still…” he trails off, the word alive permeating in the air unsaid. 

The cruel reality of being a demigod, especially a descendent of the Big Three, is all the loss. Siblings, friends, cousins, anybody. Death is an uncomfortable bedfellow of all of their lives, weaving into the delicate lace of their stories. Prophesized by the Fates themselves. 

Nico doesn't blame them for being so scared, they all saw him nearly kill himself less than a week ago. He would probably be the same kind of hysterical in their shoes. Jason, Hazel, and Percy are all darting their eyes around the room rapidly, grasping for clues as they try to figure out if they can relax. 

“When I die, it won't be a question, don't worry,” Nico smirks, only half joking and not daring to say it will be a long time from now. 

“You gave Seaweed Brain here a run for his money for making dumbass, self-sacrificial decisions. And saved us all on top of that. I think we're worrying a perfectly normal amount when it comes to Dumb and Dumber,” Annabeth quips back with a tinge of sadness, squeezing Percy's shoulder who is sitting beside her, “Not to mention Dumbest, Leo, who decided to just go and sacrifice himself without telling anybody.”

“You shouldn't waste your time worrying about me” Nico responds, biting his tongue to keep himself from adding his underlying thoughts. I'm not worth it.  

He nervously fidgets with his ring, resisting the urge to run his hands up and down his arms and risk bringing more attention to them. The room is stunned into silence. It's never been a secret that Nico wasn't the happiest demigod out there, but most of them had never heard it so plainly laid out before. All eyes are on Nico as he shrinks into himself, instantly regretting saying anything and desperately searching for any words to save him. 

“Whoever told you that? That you're a waste?” the raspy voice of Percy speaks.

Nico realizes that he has been silent this whole time and completely out of character to who he knew. Percy looks just as exhausted as Nico, his arms resting on his things and hanging in front of him, his body folded in half except for his head that stays fixated on Nico in the hospital bed. 

The son of Hades glances around the room like a deer in headlights to see the crew’s expressions matching Percy. He turns to Will looking for respite, but the son of Apollo is unable to hide his emotions well enough. It hits Nico. Fuck. They care. 

But who hasn’t told him that he’s worthless? Bianca when she left. Everyone at camp when they avoided him like the plague. His father when he prepared his room in the Underworld last week. Minos. The giants. That Place. Everything that surrounds him tells him he’s better off elsewhere. 

“Everyone since I was bathed in the Lethe,” Nico responds bitterly, 

He's too busy trying to stop himself from being thrown into yet another series of flashbacks that day to regulate his tone. And before the Lethe. They don't know you've been getting those memories back ever since you went There. A bittersweet side effect of the Phlegethon.

Once again, the room is sent into silence, the only sounds being the vitals monitor attached to Nico. The stares of the crew sear into Nico's skin. 

Gods, make this stop Nico internally begs. He stares at the monitor, hoping it doesn't reveal how terrified he is right now. Now they really all think you're a freak. Maybe you shouldn't stay here. 

Nico begins to reach down for the nearest shadow when a firm grip stops him. He jerks his body back and snaps his head up to see none other than Will Solace staring intensely at Nico. But it's different from everybody else in the room, it's warm and inviting— not pity. Nico relaxes back in the hospital bed. 

Will mouths something while rubbing his chest with his fist in a circular motion. His eyebrows raised, his one hand subtly moves in a way that Nico can’t understand. It looks like he’s trying to ask if Nico’s okay, to which Nico shakes his head so subtly everybody else in the room misses it. 

“You're worthwhile to me,” Hazel says softly from the corner of the room, “You're more than our father's son.”

She has to say that. You brought her back from the Fields.

Nico fails to hold back a scoff at that last comment from her. To be a child of the Big Three is to be subject to the will and grudges of every god, monster, titan, and any other being. He has seen too much, he has been forced to live through so much. It's an objective lie. 

Nico’s life, and his death, has and will be dictated by the fact he is his father’s son, Ambassador of Pluto, the Ghost King. He flicks his eyes over to Percy, the one who knows the most of it, who has the same doubt cast over his face. Nico rakes his brain looking for an answer, but is unable to find anything and starts fidgeting with his fingers. 

“As much as I agree with you, y’all are going to have to leave if you keep stressing out my patient so much. Stressed out people can’t heal their horrific wounds and shadowiness,” Will chimes in. 

It’s both to Nico’s chagrin and saving grace. The room looks annoyed with the medic, just barely concealing their eye rolls, but Nico is too focused on Will to care. Gods, I don’t know what I did to deserve this. I never even really talked to the guy before last week. 

“We brought some things, to help you feel better.” Annabeth cuts off Nico’s thoughts, 

She seemingly reminds the group of why they originally came to visit Nico in the first place. The group starts to shuffle around as Jason sets a vase of wildflowers on the nightstand that is quickly joined by various trinkets and cards from the group. Percy shifts in his seat to reveal a small box that was in his pocket, a card game. 

“Awhile back, I got this game because I thought it was funny and that you would like it, but come to find out the words on the cards really matter. So, I had Grover help me translate it into Ancient Greek so we can actually play the game,” Percy explains, showing the box with a very inaccurate illustration of Zeus.

“Mortal game?” Nico asks.

Piper nods, “It's newer.”

Percy continues explaining, “It’s called Olympus Fluxx, there’s other versions too, but I haven’t had them translated yet. It’s like a less complicated Mythomagic. Do you want to play?”

Nico is taken aback by the offer, not because he doesn’t want to play but because of the entire premise of it. He thought that Percy hated him— he had every right to. Nico has been at best a nuisance and at worst a lying monster to Percy. Nico is well aware of the awful things he has said to Percy, the awful things he has done. 

I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve any of them . I am a disgrace.  

And yet here Percy is, with a game that he had found only the gods know how long ago considering the… funky timeline Percy has been functioning on as of recent. Not only that, but he found somebody willing to translate the entire game into a language that doesn’t exactly have a lot of translators considering the majority of them are too dyslexic to reliably comprehend English. But Nico would be lying if he said that he didn’t want to give the game a try. 

“Sure. And thanks. Everyone. For everything,” Nico anxiously mutters.

He's still far too worked up to try to make eye contact with anybody or try harder to regulate his tone. Nico nervously fidgets with his jacket sleeve, hoping for somebody to say anything. And praying that nobody catches onto how much his mind’s racing. 

“Sweet, let’s play, you guys in?” Percy asks the group, immediately met with a sea of nodding, “Okay, gather around Nico. I’ll deal the cards and explain the rules. It’s pretty simple but the rules change as you go, also so does how you win. But it starts with drawing 1 card then playing 1 card. Solace, you want to play too? You look like you could use a break.” 

Will sits down on the bed and Nico lets out a sigh of relief he didn’t know he was holding in. Of all the people in the room to be so close to him, Nico would prefer it’s Will, maybe Jason, but preferably Will. Thankfully, the rest of the group don’t sit too close to Nico. Even if it’s because they don’t actually like you, at least you won’t have a panic attack from feeling stuck Nico thinks to himself. Before he was able to get too lost in thought, Nico is interrupted by the game starting. 

It takes one round of turns for Nico to understand how the game works. Which is exactly how long it takes him to fall in love with it. It satisfies all of his ADHD understimulation while having clearly set out rules, plus he can read all of it! 

Even when he played Mythomagic, the dyslexia and English not being his first language made it so hard sometimes. Plus, the art for Fluxx is really funny, and no two games would probably ever be the same. It’s perfect in every way. Not to mention the cute boy right next to me. For the first time in far too long, Nico laughs.

Chapter Text

It was naive of Nico to think that any joy could last for him. It’s the curse of being a child of Hades after all— to be closely acquainted with misery. It was completely innocent, a card being played during the third game. A goal card for the Three Lovers, Aphrodite, Dionysus, and Eros. It was decorated with frogs, to symbolize its significance for fertility. At the sight of it, Nico is shot into a flashback. 

“I will send a plague of frogs on your whole country. The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs” - Exodus 8:2-3

The sickeningly familiar scent of Pine Sol and pungent salt takes over Nico’s system. He is back at Westover Hall. Gods, he was barely even here but it was the worst experience of his life. Jumping 70 years directly into a stuck up boarding school was not easy, to say the least. Nico was a weird kid— hyperactive, fixated on a nerdy card game, was the only kid who preferred Italian, and just couldn’t seem to make friends. Needless to say, an easy target.

It is a cool fall day, but not cold enough yet that the school didn’t make everyone go outside for recess and gym. Even though the school year had just started, students have already found Nico was easy to make fun of. Worst of all, Bianca was in a totally different grade level so they never really crossed paths during the school day. 

During recess, Nico had taken to sitting under a tree near the edge of the playground and playing with his Mythomagic cards alone. He was sorting his cards for the millionth time, this time to hopefully make a deck so Bianca will play with him, when he heard the sound of heavy footsteps in front of him.

Before Nico had the time to look up, a hand shoves him down in the dirt. Nico hears cruel laughter and sees a group of boys from his classes encircling him.

“Little bitch, are you hurt or something? What are you going to do, cry to your parents? Oh wait, you don’t have any. Because nobody wants you.”

Nico opens his mouth to fight back, but is punched across the face. He feels the pain radiate across his face and a warm, metallic feeling fills his mouth. 

“You’re not going to say a fucking word about this. Or else your precious sister is next.”

Nico nods frantically, praying that this time it was just a quick altercation and they will leave now. Unsurprisingly, it’s not. He is dragged outside the bounds of the schoolyard to a remote shed used to store fishing equipment for the school, his entire body being scraped against the rough foliage littering the ground. 

It burns. It burns so much more than usual. Nico is thrown into the shed and bags of something are thrown over him, raining down like rocks, before the door is bolted shut. He stays still, silently crying, until a school bell rings out and the taunting voices fade away. 

Nico slowly opens his eyes that had been tightly shut since the first blow to see sunlight streaming through a small slatted window in the shed. Then he sees it. What was thrown over his body. Countless frogs, dead and alive, seemingly scavenged from the science rooms post-dissection and the pond. 

His eyes burn as the smell of formaldehyde, marshland, and rot takes over the shed. The slimy bodies seemingly coat him and Nico feels like his own skin is stabbing him. He wants to rip it all off. The slime seeps into the scratches covering his body, making it burn even more. He screams. And doesn’t stop. Terror takes over his small body as he cries for anybody to save him, only interrupted by his own sobbing. It feels like hours, Nico shouting until his throat is raw and he has no more voice to give. 

He is reduced to quiet sobbing. Hyperventilating and praying for it to end. It doesn’t end, eventually Nico passes out in the shed. When he comes to, the sun is beginning to set and a groundskeeper is staring at him. Overwhelmed by the light and everything else, Nico immediately leans to the side and throws up. Gods, he just wants to fucking die.

The massively underpaid groundskeeper sighs, mutters something about paperwork, and drags him to the principal’s office. Nico is scolded for going out of the schoolyard boundaries and missing classes. He doesn’t even get a chance to explain that it wasn’t his fault. As punishment, he has detention for the next two weeks and has to clean the dorm bathrooms alongside the groundskeeper. 

Nico goes back to his room and cries more, not even having the energy to go collect his cards that were left outside. Later that night, Bianca comes into his dorm with his cards, a new pack, and a photograph in hand. He can’t bring himself to talk, even though he wants Bianca to know it wasn’t his fault. He’s trying to be good. He doesn’t want to be bad.

“Ti amo Niccolò. So che non è stata colpa tua. Sono qui ora. Dentro e fuori. Respirare,” Bianca whispers to Nico as she holds him, rocking with Nico on his bed. 

I love you Niccolò. I know it wasn’t your fault. I’m here now. In and out. Breathe. 

Breathe.

Breathe.

Breathe. 

Nico flinches as he feels a hand rubbing his back and is met with the blue eyes of the one and only Will Solace. He looks around to see a now empty room and all the cards gone. It smells like flowers and antiseptic. Even though Nico is back to the present, the scent of formaldehyde and the feeling of foliage stabbing him still haunts him like a phantom sensation. Once again, his words are stuck in his throat. All he can do is sob into the arms of the medic for the second time today. 

How fucking embarrassing, Nico. Bianca would be ashamed of who you have become.

Chapter Text

The lights in the infirmary feel far brighter than they used to be. Nico squeezes his eyes shut, just like he did that day in the shed, and tries to slow his breathing. He is so, so sick of not being able to breathe. Between the nightmares, the panic attacks, and whatever Will talked about earlier, Nico just wants to tear out his lungs and scream at them to work normally. 

The healer’s warm embrace calms him down quickly though, combined with Nico’s usual conductor-like hand movements of course. Every time this happens, it feels like it lasts forever and simultaneously stops as fast as it starts. The feeling of the air running through his fingers with the gentle feeling of Will’s hand on his back brings him firmly back to the Camp infirmary. 

“I swear I don’t just cry,” Nico whispers after several minutes of silence. 

“It’d be okay if you do. You deserve to be able to after everything you’ve been through,” Will responds gently.

Nico knows this is supposed to be comforting, but what exactly does Will know that he’s been through? What has Nico, what has other people, revealed about him? How much more agency does he have to lose? Why can’t anything belong to him? When will the gods stop punishing him?

“I can feel you panicking about what I just said. I don’t know any specifics, but I know that we’ve both been through two wars. Pardon my French, but that shit’s hard for anybody. Let alone children. We all deserve more. We deserve the space,” Will says, immediately alleviating all of Nico’s anxieties. 

For a son of Apollo, he sure knows madness. He sure knows me. 

“Where did everybody go?” Nico asks, it fully sinking in that all of the crew had disappeared.

“They’re all hovering outside of the room. I kicked them out pretty immediately after your flashback started, figured you’d appreciate the privacy. If you’d like them to come back I can tell them,” Will responds.

“They didn’t do anything wrong. And the game was nice, I really liked it. It was just…” Nico says, getting frustrated with himself. 

“The one goal card, right?” Will fills in the pause, Nico nodding in response, “What about it? No pressure to tell me if you don’t want to. Just want to help you figure out how to work through triggers like this.”

Nico thinks again to his father’s advice to be a normal teen who talks about his problems with his friends. All things considered, that whole… experience isn’t anywhere near the worst thing he’s been through. Eventually, Nico decides to say, “Exodus 8:2-3.”

“Frogs,” Will mutters after searching his brain for a few seconds before more confidently continuing, “You’ve got me brushing up on my bible school, di Angelo.” 

Nico nods and starts picking at the skin around his fingernails, “It was the frogs on the card. It’s dumb I know. But before I came to camp I was at this boarding school up in Maine. There were some guys that locked me in a shed and threw a bunch of frogs on me. Then of course I got in trouble for it.” 

“You didn’t deserve that happening to you. I appreciate you telling me that, I know it’s not easy to think about stuff like that.” Will responds.

He looks down and notices Nico’s nervous movements. Will slips off one of the bracelets on his arm that’s made of small, interlocking pieces of yellow and orange plastic. Showing Nico the way it snaps and moves. It clicks really nicely with each movement, like things clicking back into place. 

Will continues, “Here, I got this forever ago. Think it was called a Twiddle or something? It always helped me with getting out nervous energy. Seems like you need it more than I do right now, plus I have like 3 more of those.”

“Thanks,” Nico mutters, shifting away from the medic, “They can come back in now. As long as they’re not too loud. And can we keep the lights dimmed for now?”

“Of course, it’s about dinner time now actually. If you want, we could all just eat dinner here. Eat as much or as little as makes you comfortable, just need to get something in your system,” Will offers, Nico nodding in agreement, “Okay, I'll let them in.”

A few minutes later, the group files back in. Everybody’s holding their own dinner, except for Percy who seems to be barely balancing two different sets of plates and cups.

“I brought you a plate too, at least what I think you would like,” Percy says as he nearly drops Nico’s plate onto the table. 

Sometimes it’s easy for Nico to forget how long Percy has known him and how much they share. Even when Nico was trying to avoid him. Looking at the plate, it’s filled with fresh berries, a small arugula salad, fried black-eyed pea cakes, and peach cobbler. Nico can’t help but smile at the group, feeling eager to eat for the first time since the Titan War. 

Ever since the Pit, it’s been hard for Nico to stomach a lot of meat, plus the texture of a lot of foods have always really messed with him. The rest of the group, besides Annabeth and Percy, seem to be enjoying some grilled salmon. 

“Thanks, it’s perfect. And sorry about earlier. I really liked the game and appreciate you all playing it with me. I think I would just need to edit a few cards for me to be able to play it without… that happening again,” Nico responds as he starts eating dinner, practically melting into the flavors of it, “I would uh… I would like it if we could maybe play some more card games or something again.”

“Of course, man. Anytime,” Percy responds, then he smirks, “Did you hear what Clarisse did to Jason in the Arena earlier today? It was so funny, oh my gods. She totally knocked him down because he got distracted by—” 

Jason kicks Percy, leaping over multiple people to try to cover his mouth, “Nothing. Nothing happened. In fact I don’t even know what distractions are.” 

“A bird! He got distracted by a bird!” Percy spits out. 

Nico winces a bit at the loudness, but is too busy chuckling to be focused too much on the pain. The group continues bantering and he feels so at home. Is this what camp is supposed to feel like? A knock at the door interrupts the group as Will Solace appears in the doorway. I can’t believe I didn’t notice he had left. 

“Looks like a proper party in here, all y’all need now is the Stoll brothers,” Will smiles, “Anyways, Nico I have some stuff about earlier today. Do you want them here while I talk about your medical stuff or no?”

Nico thinks for a minute, he doesn’t want to ruin the mood by making everybody leave. Not that his health is a particularly joyous topic or anything, but if anybody is good at keeping a secret it's this group. 

He shrugs, “I guess they can stay. If they want to of course. Just uh… maybe don't talk about specific diagnoses or anything?” 

“No problem at all. I was just planning on talking about a treatment plan. I got a few different things to teach you here. You ready? It's kind of a lot of information,” Will responds, 

Nico nods in agreement. He glances over to the group who have stayed put, Hazel flashing him a small smile and a thumbs up. 

“Sweet, let's get started!” Will proclaims, pushing in a black metal cart filled with various things Nico can't identify. 

Will begins to explain as he shows how to use each device, “I know it looks like a lot, but it'll make sense. I organized it so it makes the most sense to you. The top tier is the small stuff you'll need everyday or on the go. The purple round one is Advair, use it every morning right after breakfast and at dinnertime. The red one is Albuterol, it's called a rescue inhaler because you use it when you start to have an attack, you do two puffs spaced a minute apart.” 

Nico feels like he should be taking notes or something.

Will continues monologuing, “Both of these, you should always have on you. The middle shelf is your nebulizer, which is the machine we used earlier. The medicines in the blue bin are for every morning, the ones in the red bin are rescues for when it's really bad and the inhaler doesn’t work. On the bottom is an oxygen concentrator, it's to give you a bit of extra help like when you're flaring or sick. That was a lot, but is there anything that's confusing to you?”

Nico shakes his head, “It's just a lot. But it makes sense.”

“Okay. Now Nico, look me in the eye. I mean it, this is important.” Will says, staring straight into Nico's soul and holding a small clip that was on the cart, “If you ever have an attack and you're not sure if you can get it under control, push this button and it will call the infirmary. It doesn't matter the hour, the occasion, you're not bothering us. We will drop everything and use healing to help you breathe, which is what I had to do earlier today. It’ll probably be me, actually. Repeat after me: I will call Will the second it starts to get bad.”

Nico stares at Will with his eyes wide open like a deer in headlights. Damn, who knew he could be so scary if he wanted to. Kind of cute though. 

“I didn’t realize you had to heal me even more today, sorry about that,” Nico apologizes, earning a glare from Will, “...and I will call Will the second it starts to get bad.” 

Just like that, Will’s face changes back to his typical huge smile, “Great! That’s everything I have for you. I see you’ve eaten, I’ll leave you all be for now, unless you need anything else? Just remember to leave by 9pm when visiting hours ends.”

As much as Nico wants Will to stay, he can’t think of a good excuse. He turns to the rest of the group who look equally as silent. He starts fidgeting with the bracelet Will gave him earlier. 

Nico shakes his head and flashes a small smile, “Nothing I can think of, you know where to find me, though.”

Will waves and leaves the room when Percy starts beaming, “Dude! We could totally do our treatments together! Jason’s stuff he has to do is different from us but we could totally be the Big Three Boys. It’s been great for accountability for me. My cart is blue though, which I guess is different. But besides that we basically have to do the same thing in the mornings. Me and Jason already do our treatments in the morning together, you should totally join! And also—”

Nico stares at the son of Poseidon with his mouth agape, seeing Jason eagerly nodding in agreement beside Percy. At this point, he isn’t sure if all the medications he has to take now or Percy’s response is shocking him more. Percy is the other camper with the same conditions Will mentioned? And Jason too? Probably not the same thing but still. And they want him to join them?

“Percy, the ADHD eagerness is getting too much, even for demigods, there. Let’s take a pause, I think you’re overwhelming Nico a bit. But he is right, Nico. It’s nice to not have to do these things alone. At least for me,” Annabeth cuts off Percy, offering Nico a warm smile, “I don’t join them in the morning because it’s ‘dude time’ as they call it, but I do my routine with some other people at camp and the company is nice.”

“Maybe I will join, yeah. But I need to get out of here first. I appreciate the offer. My sleep schedule is shit, though,” Nico responds, trying to play it off like he wasn’t totally overwhelmed by the series of infodumps, “Do you think we could play more cards? Maybe poker? We can use the cotton balls as chips.”

Nico spends the rest of the night winning most of the rounds, of course. The room is roaring with laughter once again as Frank pouts about somehow having a negative amount of chips. It’s not Nico’s fault that Frank is bad at poker, though. Even as the sun sets, the room feels warm and bright. Nico feels alive.

Chapter Text

As the campfire starts to come alive outside, Will enters Nico’s room and points at the clock. It’s already 9:15, but who could really expect a group of ADHD demigods enthralled in a game to keep track of time? A chorus of see you tomorrows and waves fill the air as the group files out of the room until only Nico and the healer remain. 

“You have one hell of a village, di Angelo,” Will says from the doorway with a sly smirk. Nico gives him a confused stare, “Friends, Death Boy, you have friends here.”

“Don’t call me Death Boy. But I guess so, yeah. It was fun having them here. Percy and Jason got really… passionate about something they called the Big Three Boys?” Nico replies, Will chuckling in response, “I’m guessing you’re not here to talk about them, though.”

“What? A guy can’t talk to his patient just for fun? They call it bedside manner, you know. It’s very important in the medical field,” Will playfully responds.

“Sure, Solace. Like when you bedside mannered so well you passed the fuck out in the chair over there,” Nico quips back. 

“Hey, just be grateful I didn’t start snoring. Some of my siblings snore like melodic truckers I swear,” Will shoots back.

“Oh really? But not you, of course,” Nico rolls his eyes. 

“I wouldn’t know, not my problem,” Will shrugs, “...But you were right, I wanted to check in with you before you go to sleep. I’m hoping that I can figure something out so you can sleep more peacefully and prevent any triggers for your lungs and anxiety. While you were with your friends, I was scheming a bit with Clovis and Lou Ellen.”

“It’s been like this for years, I don’t know what you could really do to help. Not to be negative, but I’m just trying to be realistic here.” 

“Ah, but reality changes all the time, di Angelo. You should know, the Mist is constantly doing it around us,” Will replies. 

Nico shudders at that thought, he hates the idea of the Greek world always being pervasive like that. Granted, there’s nothing he can do about it and it’ll always be like that, but it’s another thing to actually think about it. Just the idea of the Mist constantly wrapping itself around him, it’s creepy. But, maybe he just thinks that since his… excursion down south completely and utterly changed his worldview.

The healer keeps talking, “Anyways, it’s an acquired taste. It’s maypop flower, lavender, and valerian root— which were used in Indigenous medicines— and Greek medicines. We also added some demigod magic thanks to Clovis, Lou Ellen, and a bit of nectar. All signs point to it being relaxing and helping prevent nightmares. You don’t have to try it if you don’t want to, but it’s my professional opinion that it’s worth a shot.”

“Do I just… drink it? Like you do nectar?” Nico asks, fidgeting with Will’s bracelet from earlier. 

“Actually it’s a bit different. I made it into tea and used nectar-infused honey to sweeten it. I can do a different form if you’d like, but I noticed your body temperature is always a bit low and figured the warmth would be nice,” Will responds, holding out a steaming mug, “So yes, you drink it but you don’t have to be so careful because there’s not a lot of nectar in it and there’s nothing too dangerous. Drink it as fast or as slow as you want as long as you finish the cup.”

Nico takes the mug and takes a pensive sip as the subtly sweet floral tastes fill his mouth with a slight aftertaste of the custard his Mamma used to make. His tense muscles finally relax and the sharp pain in his legs and ribs he had been pushing away all day lessens to a manageable ache. Before he knows it, the mug is practically empty. 

“Looks like it’s doing what I wanted it to. I also want you to do a breathing treatment tonight before going to bed. I forgot to point this one out earlier, but this green basket is for after a hard day, like today was,” Will’s holding up a basket from the cart.

Personally, Nico wouldn’t classify today as a particularly hard day. In fact, today was pretty normal for him. He wakes up panicking, he passes the fuck out from exhaustion, his legs hurt like hell, and he coughs sometimes. Nothing particularly spectacular. But according to Will, that’s a hard day. It makes him think if he even knows what a good, easy day is then. When was the last time he had a good day?

Will continues talking and preparing a breathing treatment, “When you feel like you’ve had a lot of things going on that have stressed your breathing, I want you to use this before you go to bed. It’s just meant to make it so you breathe easier while you’re asleep and lessen the chance you have any coughing fits, which are asthma attacks by the way, in the middle of the night without totally wiring you.”

He did notice that the breathing treatment earlier made him feel really shaky, but he didn’t mention it because Will didn’t say anything about it. Figured it must’ve just been him. These days, he’s kinda shaky in general. It’s also a real shock to hear he’s been having whatever an asthma attack is. Nico just thought that sometimes he coughs a lot and that’s just normal, seeing as it’s happened basically his whole life. 

“Also this is a less intrusive mouthpiece you can use instead of the mask if you wanted. I’ll let you give it a try for this one since you’re not having an active medical crisis,” Will holds out a plastic tube that sorta looks like a cigar.

Nico rolls his eyes at the dramatics and takes the treatment, mumbling something about Will overreacting about his health. It really hasn’t been that bad. He’s been dealing with this stuff for as long as he can remember. Just because there’s a name to it now doesn’t mean that it’s this big huge hard thing. He can deal with it alone, he’s been alone for years now. 

When he finishes the treatment, Nico looks to the healer, “I’m not tired yet, want to stay a bit maybe?”

A little bit selfish, yeah. But he really likes spending time with him. A pretty face. No other motivations whatsoever. Not to mention that it’s still pretty early in the night and Nico can’t remember the last time he managed to fall asleep before midnight. Even when he does, he always wakes up in a cold sweat at least once during the night. He’s not exactly eager for sleep.

“For my favorite patient? Of course I will,” Will responds as he sits down in the chair next to Nico. A ridiculous grin grows on his face as he rests his chin in his hands like a young girl at a sleepover, “So what hot gossip do you have?”

Once again, Nico is left absolutely speechless as the son of Apollo stares at him with big blue puppy eyes. How could anybody resist that? It would be evil of him to deny him hot gossip at this point. He’s a son of Hades, not a complete monster. Unfortunately, this means he has to come up with hot gossip to talk about— a hard feat when he doesn’t really talk to anybody. After a couple beats, it hits him.

Grinning in return, Nico tells about earlier that evening, “When we were playing poker, Frank got so upset that he was losing that he turned himself into a feeder mouse by accident and got stuck for like three rounds. Jason and Percy kept putting cotton balls on top of him to mess with him.”

“So that’s why I magically ran out of cotton balls, huh? Worth it, I would pay so much money for a picture of that. Times like that make me wish this camp invested in a darkroom and film cameras. Or somebody made demigod-safe phones,” Will responds, immediately getting off topic from the original story. 

That’s something people don’t talk enough about when they talk about demigods. Following a conversation is like trying to find Pan… well until Grover actually found him. It’s a hopeless effort but it’s just how it goes. The topics jump wildly from one to another, back and forth, up and around. It’s easier to just accept it as a truth rather than try to understand it. And to Nico, it feels totally normal, in fact comfortable. After spending all this time with demigods, it’s weird to try to have a conversation that stays on one topic when it isn’t just about battle. 

Nico always liked that about Leo, he had no expectations for things to be normal. He was always fidgeting with some project or wires he pulled out of thin air, jumping from topic to topic, slipping in and out of speaking English. Leo is, was, everything that Nico wished he had the nerve to be. Because even though people found him annoying, at least he was true. If Leo was here, he would probably already be making everything Will just mentioned. Something about Leo’s death, his sacrifice, didn’t feel quite right to Nico, but that’s a later problem he can’t get into right now. 

“It was definitely a good photo opportunity. I think I have a scrapbook somewhere in my cabin with some photos in it. I found it in my cabin after the battle ended. I'm guessing my father had somebody leave it there because a lot of them I hadn’t seen before,” Nico responds after realizing he spent too long on his inner tangents. 

Will gasps, seemingly unbothered, “A tiny Nico?? I absolutely have to see this. I still remember when you crash landed in my dad’s chariot. Chiron looked absolutely horrified, but you were just there laughing and laughing.”

“I can’t believe that you remember that, it was so long ago,” Nico facepalms, wracking his brain to remember back to then, “Please tell me I didn’t do some annoying shit to you.”

“It’s hard to forget a face like that. Or an entrance like that,” Will not-so-slyly flirts back, “And my tiny Nico interactions are between me and the gods then, you’ll never know!”

Nico’s heart flutters, but not in the way where he feels sick like how it’s felt the past few days. In a good way. In a warm way. Right on cue, Nico’s body decides to betray him and decides it’s time to sleep as he yawns. I would stay awake forever to spend more time with Will. But he can never know that . 

“I can see you’re getting tired, you should get some rest. I’ll leave the lamp on but I’ll turn off the big light. I’ve left you some crackers and water to tie you over for the night. Sweet dreams, di Angelo,” Will says as he shuts off the lights and closes the door. 

After the door closes, Nico shuts his eyes and thinks of the son of Apollo, almost squinting to remember back to when he first arrived at camp. Even though it had only been a few years ago, it was jarring to think about how much had changed. He had all but forgotten about what it had been like. He was so enthralled with Mythomagic, with Percy Jackson, with the entire world changing to reveal that what he loved most was absolutely true. It was magical. 

A few days ago Nico would have said he can’t remember the last time he felt like that, but now he can remember it. It was today when everybody was playing Fluxx or Poker or eating with him, the care everybody gave him all day long, the patience Will had with him. Perhaps he could make his father proud and break the curse of his children leading unhappy lives. For the first time in countless months, Nico is pulled into a beautifully dreamless sleep.

Chapter Text

Nico is awoken by sunlight in his face and an Apollo girl he vaguely recognizes shuffling around his room. He grumbles “Whatever hour it is right now, it’s too early to exist yet.” 

The girl laughs “Will warned us you might be a bit grumpy in the morning. Good morning, sleepyhead! I’m Kayla, Apollo cabin, a medic here. Although Will is definitely the best healer of all of us. But, he’s been working for like a week straight so we had to kick him out to get some rest. Judging by the time, he’ll be back in the next hour or so. Unless Austin catches him at the door. Then it will be longer— ” Kayla rambles on.

Nico glances at the clock, revealing that it’s 9:45 AM and groans.

“No offense, but I don’t want to be awake right now. Can you shut the blinds so I can sleep again?” Nico cuts off Kayla’s rambling, still not awake enough to try to sound nicer. 

He usually blames the fatigue on his powers to avoid any suspicion, but in reality it isn’t just that. Everything from yesterday, all the pain he’s been in, that’s what really drains him. Nico can push through power drain, he did it during every war, but sometimes his body demands more. The room dims and he drifts back into his much needed rest.

Like clockwork an hour later, Nico is awoken by a gentle voice next to him, “Hey Nico, it’s Will. I know you want to rest but we have to get you on some kind of semblance of a normal schedule. It doesn’t have to be right away, but I don’t want to mess up your meds, we’re going to start them today.”

 He opens his eyes to see Will Solace at his bedside holding a tray of food. As much as he hates being woken up, it isn’t so bad when it’s Will doing it. Only marginally better though. Just because he’s a nice friend. Good company. 

“Percy talked to me a bit earlier today, told me a bit about your preferences since the plate he got you yesterday was such a hit,” Will explains, setting up the tray of food.

Nico slowly sits up, his head spinning the normal amount that it does in the morning. When his vision clears, he sees a glass of apple juice and a yogurt bowl with fruit, granola, and nuts in it. Damn, he cared enough to ask Percy what I liked? I hope that Percy didn’t give away too many details, though. Nico happily eats the breakfast as Will yammers on about his day so far, eating his own yogurt bowl in the chair next to him. 

“Looks like we’re both finished, now I have to be a doctor. Did you wake up at any point during the night?” Will asks, washing his hands and setting the bowls to the side. 

“Slept through the night, no dreams, no coughing,” Nico responds.

“Sweet!” Will exclaims, holding up his hand for a high five, which Nico hastily returns after realizing what Will was doing, “Sorry, got excited there. But it sounds like we might’ve found a good fit for you. Let’s get started with your morning routine, even though it’s barely morning anymore. Do you remember what you need to do?”

“Should I do the inhaler or breathing treatment first?” Nico asks, proud that he remembered everything from yesterday. 

“Breathing treatment first. It opens up your lungs so the inhaler can work better,” Will replies, “Can you reach the cart safely or do you want me to bring you what you need?”

Nico starts to try to get up, but pain shoots through his body before his feet can even swing to the side of the bed. His heart starts to race as his vision starts to blur. He thinks that he looks pretty normal still, but evidently he doesn’t because Will immediately clocks that something’s off. Damn Apollo kids. 

 “Woah there cowboy, I’ll get it, let’s go back to how we were before,” Will quickly says, noticing how disoriented the son of Hades looks, “I’ll get the parts, you put it all together. Hopefully you’ll feel a bit better after all of this.”

He places all the parts on the overbed table and Nico starts to prepare the nebulizer like he remembers Will doing it yesterday, occasionally looking over at Will for affirmation. It’s not too many steps, but it’s enough where he’s not completely sure if he’s doing it right. 

Will gives him a warm smile each time, “While you do your treatment, I’m going to do some normal checks on you and the room, if that’s okay?”

Nico nods and Will begins charting numbers from the monitor, replenishing supplies, and generally bouncing around the room to keep himself busy until the nebulizer is finished. He catches it just in time to see Nico doing his daily inhaler correctly. 

“Great! You got it absolutely perfect, knew you would,” Will beams, smiling at Nico, “I know it’s not your favorite, but we need to have a serious conversation, if you feel up to it. You’re not in trouble or anything, I promise.” 

As terrifying as it is, Nico deep down saw this coming. Will saw more than Nico has allowed anybody to see outside of his family. But also, Will seemed to understand it better than Nico could ever imagine. He always had the right words, the right movements, the right everything. He knew exactly what to do before Nico even had to talk, exactly what to say to relieve his anxieties. Will had literally just done it by saying Nico isn’t in trouble, instantly taking care of the worry that Nico was going to be forced out of camp for being too much of a problem.

“I guess we can. It’s not like I can avoid it forever,” Nico answers, fidgeting with his fingers and shrinking into himself. 

“What can I do to make this less scary?” Will asks, taking note of Nico’s body language, “Do you want me closer? Do you want me to write the questions? Genuinely anything.”

“...Do you think we can do this in my cabin?” Nico barely whispers, looking down at his hands.

“Of course we can,” Will warmly replies.

“I don’t… I don’t think I can walk there.” Nico nervously admits. 

“I’ll get a wheelchair, don’t worry about it. I’ll be back in a minute,” Will smiles, then walking out the door and quickly returning, “Here, let me help you transfer. You okay if I touch you for this?”

Nico nods, putting his arm around Will as he lifts up Nico’s body to the chair. Nico bites his lip to try to suppress showing how much pain he’s in, but Will seems to catch onto it and places a warm hand on Nico’s hip while muttering a hymn. 

“Sorry I didn’t ask first, but I felt that it was out of place a bit and figured that was part of what was hurting you,” Will apologizes, “We can go now. People are supposed to be out at activities, so nobody should see you if you’re worried about that.”

“It’s okay, I appreciated it. Getting up is hard for me sometimes,” Nico replies, careful to not reveal too much. 

The two boys make their way outside. The healer relishes as soon as the sun hits him, sighing in relief. Nico can feel Will’s energy replenish, much thanks to Apollo. He’s absolutely glowing as the sun beats down on them. I could watch him forever like this, it’s like he’s healing me it’s so warm right now. They stay still at the front of the Big House for a good few minutes until Will is shocked back into reality. 

“Oops! Got a little lost in the sunshine sauce there. Energy, right after healing, all that. Let’s keep going,” Will proclaims, continuing their journey towards Cabin 13. 

“It might be a bit messy, sorry about that. Also dark. Sorry about that too,” Nico says, cringing at the state that he left it in. 

“No worries, you’ve been busy,” Will responds as they approach the cabin door. 

The cabin is darker than Nico remembers it being, with the only window being covered with blackout curtains and the decor being mostly black and red. It looks like a disaster zone, but Will doesn’t seem to mind much and is quick to open the curtains and turn on any lights he can see. 

“Let’s get settled on your couch, I’ll get you a blanket too,” the son of Apollo decides. 

Will helps Nico transfer to the couch and props him up before joining him with a throw pillow he hands Nico to hold. The two stare at each other, seemingly waiting for the other to start the talk. 

“I’ve never been in here before, it’s nice. Needs some windows maybe, but nice nonetheless,” Will breaks the silence, “I’m not going to beat around the bush, I wanted to talk about your mental health.”

Nico’s breath hitches involuntarily. He had the entire time walking over here to prepare, but still is frozen like one of Medusa’s statues, “Cristo,” he mutters under his breath. 

At least he doesn’t seem too bothered by the mess.

“I know this is stressful, I’m sorry. I don’t know your experience, but I can tell you that most campers here can empathize with what you’re going through. Not saying that you aren’t worthy of pain, but that I’m here for you,” Will softly says, stretching out his hands for Nico to hold, which Nico graciously accepts the offer, “How often do you get panic attacks, anxiety attacks, flashbacks, stuff like that?”

“...Most days since I ran away from camp after the… incident at the Mess Hall.” Nico responds. 

Will nods, remembering back to the fight between him and Percy that revealed Nico as a child of the Big Three. 

Nico continues describing, “It’s usually a couple times a day, at least when I first wake up. Sometimes it feels like it goes on all day, though.”

Will empathizes, “It must have been hard to deal with that alone for so long. I really appreciate you being willing to talk to me about this. How do you usually get through them?”

Nico takes a deep breath, knowing what Will is alluding to, “I usually try to shock myself back to reality? Like with cold water. Otherwise I just have to wait it out until it fixes itself or I pass out.” 

Will stares at Nico, as if expecting more of an answer. Nico gently closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths, trying to regulate himself enough to continue. He pulls his hands away from Will’s, opting to rhythmically tap his fingers against himself instead. 

It’s now or never, so Nico admits what he’s been avoiding, “And I know you saw what else happens sometimes. I usually don’t even realize it happened until afterwards. Sometimes it’s the only thing that can bring me back, though...”

“How long?” Will asks, there’s no judgement though.

“Since I was in the Labyrinth.” Nico responds shortly, wincing at the memory of Minos. Truthfully, it’s been since far before then.

“I’m not going to expect you to stop self-harming right away, that’s not realistic. I’m also not going to take anything from you, because that never really helps. But, I’m going to ask that you come to the infirmary when it happens. You can also use your button to call if you can’t calm yourself down safely. It’s seriously not a burden or problem at all. All the medics are trained in techniques to work through them, we’ve all experienced them first-hand, we are here for you,” Will says firmly but simultaneously gently. 

It’s taking all of Nico’s energy to continue focusing on the conversation. His body is really starting to ache more and he’s feeling increasingly like the world is floating away from him. Shit I can’t do this again, just be fucking normal. Will seems to notice his growing spiral.

“Hey there, you’re doing great, Nico. This shit is hard to talk about, and you’re strong for trusting me in talking about this. They all expect us to be heroes, but never stop to see what that does to us. What it drives us to do. We deserve our happy ending,” Will says, making eye contact with Nico.

Will then obviously glances down at his own bracelet-adorned arms, “I can’t speak for every other healer, but I mean it when I say I’ve been there. Maybe not the exact same things you’ve gone through, but I get what we’re left with fighting afterwards.”

Nico pulls his body closer to the son of Apollo and moves Will’s hand to his back, Will gets the message and starts to rub Nico’s back. 

Will whispers to Nico, “Last thing, I promise. I know you’ve been trying to hide how much pain you’re in. I can feel it every time I touch you, I know it’s everywhere. Can you tell me more about it?”

Nico squeezes his eyes, trying to keep himself from crying again. I can talk about mutilating myself, but I can’t admit to this? “I don’t remember a time without it. Since Venice, I was never able to keep up quite the same. I always got sicker than all the other kids, more tired after school. My Mamma always joked that I was clumsy, always falling and getting hurt.”

He glances at Will, who’s intently listening. There doesn’t seem to be any kind of judgement or anything, but then again he’s never been great at reading facial expressions like that. So, who’s he to say?

“When I found out I’m a demigod, you know how demanding it is. I tell everyone I get tired because of my powers, but I can usually push through that. It’s because my body hurts so much I feel like I can’t move. My legs are the worst, after a bit every step feels like it’s stabbing me. And trust me, I know what it feels like to get stabbed. The other parts of my body, like my back and arms, aren’t great and still hurt most of the time, but it’s negligible compared to my legs. But I’m sure you noticed that with your magic Apollo powers,” Nico keeps talking, the words just pouring out now.

He continues, “Before you and Jason dragged me outside, I had been stuck in my cabin since the war ended. I couldn’t get up for more than 5 minutes without getting too dizzy or being in too much pain before falling. I still can’t really walk, you’ve seen it. And it’s so fucking frustrating, because I know that I can, and I have, done so much. But I’m just so stuck. I’m the son of Hades! I’ve been in two wars! And now I can’t even sit up by myself without almost passing out!”

“Breathe, Nico. I’m here. Dentro e fuori. We’re going to work towards finding you relief, together. I promise,” Will comforts the son of Hades, pulling him closer while still rubbing his back as Nico is lulled to sleep, “You will get your happy ending.”

Chapter Text

“Niccolò, my son.”

Nico is surrounded by a grandiose room made of black obsidian and marble with celestial bronze and stygian iron detailing. Outside there is a grayish red haze. Nico groans, knowing he could only be in one place. Also there’s only one being that calls him his full name like that. 

“Hello father,” Nico drops to his knee to bow, 

He’s more than relieved that in his dreams the pain usually doesn’t exist because he wouldn’t have even been standing in the real world let alone getting up. Not to mention that he couldn’t even imagine how dizzy he would be if he tried to get up that quickly. Lately, his vision’s been getting all weird and vignette-y when he stands up. It usually fixes itself though, so no harm no foul, right?

“You may rise. You must be aware that I try not to spy on you too much, but I cannot help when you come into my domain at Camp Half-Blood and speak such troubling things. Do not be confused, I am not angry. I grieve that you were unable to tell anyone, even your own father, of all your pain— both physically and within your soul,” Hades speaks, donning his signature black suit for his human form. 

Unfortunately, the anxiety doesn’t go away in his dreams. Nico fidgets with his hands, eventually forcing himself to look at his father and mustering the confidence to reply, “I didn’t want you to think I was weaker than you already think I am.”

“It is not my nature, especially as a god, to issue apologies to mortals. However, as my only son, I will admit that I grossly underestimated you. Niccolò Matteone di Angelo. My victor, your mother’s saint, our angel. You are stronger than any demigod I have met in centuries, and not only for your great power. I was incorrect you were lesser than your sister, you have made me proud beyond what words may fathom. When I last saw you on the brink of your own demise, I spoke only of the truth when I said I want you to be happy,” Hades’ voice booms, filling the empty room of the palace.

“I’m just so tired, father,” Nico replies softly. 

The pain is just too much for me. I don’t know how to keep dealing with it. I don’t want to keep dealing with it. He knows it’s useless to not say it aloud, Hades can read his thoughts, but he would still avoid the topic as much as he can. They’ve had a talk about it being invasive. Still, his father insists that it’s unavoidable.

“I cannot bring you the relief you seek, I fear my brother would bring down his wrath if I were to try. However, with certainty, I will say that the son of Apollo, the one with you in the overworld now, will bring the light you seek. Yes, you will need to work towards it. But he has a good soul,” Hades reassures Nico, “I will release you now, my Niccolò. For this rest, I relieve you of nightmares to grant you a peaceful sleep. Your room is always here for you, my dear son. Come visit.”

“I understand, father, thank you. And I will try to visit when Will lets me shadow travel again,” Nico responds, his surroundings fading to serene darkness.

When Nico’s eyes open, he sees the view of Cabin 13 and feels a warmth embracing him. He glances up at the clock and realizes he’s been asleep for just over three hours. Above him, the son of Apollo is also asleep. Nico is convinced this is the most rested he has felt since before the Titan War. Wow, not having constant nightmares truly does wonders for sleep. Nico shifts, realizing his shoulder hurts from laying on it for too long. 

“Hey there sleepyhead, guess we both took an afternoon nap. You needed it, though,” Will softly speaks, causing Nico to slightly flinch at the unexpected noise. 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you. Since when do you know Italian?” Nico asks, remembering the conversation before he fell asleep. 

“No worries, it was time for me to get up anyways. And I don’t, but I realized you were repeating that one phrase to yourself and I looked it up. Only the best for my favorite patient,” Will responds, smirking, “It’s almost dinnertime, we should get back to the infirmary. I bet your friends are buzzing around there like cicadas in the summertime waiting for you.”

Nico nods in agreement and tries to get up himself when pain radiates through his body and his vision starts to go black around the edges. The aforementioned weird vignette thing that’s been happening. It also always makes him feel like he’s just sprinted a mile when this happens. He feels Will’s arms supporting him as he pauses, more or less sitting up on the couch. 

“Dizzy?” Will asks.

Nico nods, looking at the floor and resting his elbows on his thighs as he tries to catch his breath, “I’m used to it, just give me a second.”

Will looks at Nico skeptically, his face laced with concern, before he snaps out of it and grabs the wheelchair. He wraps his arms around Nico’s body and lifts him while muttering a hymn to temporarily relieve some of Nico’s pain during the transfer. The two boys barely make it inside of the infirmary before being practically bombarded by the Argo crew. 

“I know you're all excited, but give us like five minutes to get settled before you start your shenanigans.” Will requests, knowing it'll probably be more like two minutes before they get too impatient to keep waiting. 

Will helps Nico transfer back into his bed while doing his typical rambling. “Before they come back in, I'm going to talk at you a bit, you don't need to have real thoughts about it yet though. I'm thinking mobility aids might help you a lot. Stuff like a cane, crutches, wheelchair, depending on the day. I also keep feeling your joints move out of place, so I'm going to try to get a Hephaestus camper to help me build some braces for you. They shouldn't limit your movement, just keep stuff in place better.”

It’s not necessarily a surprise to Nico. Not having to push himself to walk all the way to his cabin felt absolutely life changing. Like he doesn’t have to be in pain to get anywhere. At the same time, it absolutely terrifies him to be vulnerable like that. To be a demigod and have such obvious weak points? That’s asking for trouble. 

“I still can't figure out the whole dizziness and blacking out thing, though. I'll have to talk to some of my siblings about it. While your friends are here, I'm probably going to work on fitting those mobility aids and braces I talked about earlier so we can try them out tonight and spend tomorrow getting used to them,” Will pauses, looking at movement outside the door, “Speak of the devil, here they are.”

In parades the whole bunch carrying their dinner plates, along with two extras for Will and Nico. They’re also roaring loud, but Nico isn’t too bothered by it right now. He imagines that it might start causing problems if they keep up the volume level, though. Later Nico problem.  

“Chiron and Mr. D can’t possibly be okay with all of you ditching dinner to eat with me,” Nico comments, imagining their judgmental stares as the group not-so-tactfully left with overflowing plates of food.

“They actually both okayed it. Something about how community is important for healing. Also we just saved the world. Of course, it took some… convincing,” Reyna replies, smirking at Piper. 

“I think that they just figured it wasn’t worth fighting this one. Not like we’re off causing problems, we’re in the infirmary with you,” Annabeth chimes in, shrugging, “Plus they always get loose about seating arrangements towards the end of summer.”

“Oh yeah, no problems. Except for the total lack of cotton balls I found last night. I had to ask the Stolls to run and get me more!” Will adds jokingly.

The room erupts with laughter as various demigods sputter out excuses. Soon, the group goes silent for all of seven minutes until they finish their dinner— it was Chinese food night after all. Nico hadn’t tried much of it before, but as he carefully watched everyone else eat he copied them and it all tasted good.

He notices Percy starts to shuffle around the room, placing an inhaler from Nico’s cart on the overbed table before digging in his own pockets for an identical one. It takes the older boy a couple seconds to get settled again, like he’s trying to hide the strain it took to get up. Nico knows that well.

With a wide grin, Percy does a dramatic cheers with Nico, “Bottoms up, bro!”

Will gets up and starts heading for the door, “Well, I ought to get going, medic things and all of that. Remember that visiting hours end at 9. See you later, Death Boy.” 

Nico flashes a quick smile and waves to Will, unintentionally earning him the attention of the room as everyone else stares at him with mouths agape. 

“I have known you since you first learned you were a demigod and never have I ever heard of you being okay with fun nicknames. Who are you and what have you done with Nico di Angelo?” Percy asks, totally shocked.

“None of you ever came up with good nicknames,” Nico smirks, “Maybe if you come up with a worthy one I’ll allow it.”

Instantly, Nico regrets the invitation because the room is filled with mediocre suggestions for the rest of the night. Every time he thinks it’s done, he hears some snickering with another nickname. And frankly, Nico is running out of reasons to give that they’re bad. Around 8:45, Frank clears his throat and points at the clock, everybody except Hazel, Frank, and Reyna file out of the room shouting goodbyes and proposed nicknames. 

“The Romans are heading out tomorrow morning and we have to go with them. We wanted to say a proper goodbye because let’s be honest, you’re not going to be awake that early if you can help it,” Hazel speaks up. “I’ll see you later, I know you’ll be visiting New Rome from time to time. And you better IM me so help me gods. Love you little brother.”

“Technically I’m older than you,” Nico quips back, “Love you too.”

“Fine, love you big brother. Give me a hug now,” Hazel demands, arms open. Nico happily complies, she will always be an exception to the no touch rule. 

“I better see you fully solid the next time I see you, take care of yourself. I’ll see you soon, little brother,” Reyna adds with a smile, going in for a hug that Nico happily welcomes as well. 

Nico turns to Frank, “If you hurt them, I will shadow travel my ass across the country for revenge. Hades’ fatal flaw is grudges. I’ll see you around, Frank. Make sure my sisters are happy.”

“Of course, see you around, Nico,” Frank responds, only slightly terrified by the prospect of Nico’s wrath. He stretches out his arm for a handshake, which Nico gladly accepts with a devious smile. 

Just like clockwork, at 9pm the Romans file out of the room as Will Solace appears in the doorway with a precariously balanced wheelchair full of items. Even though the sun has long set, it feels like the warm sun has filled the room. Nico could relish in this feeling forever. Maybe it’s because the day had been so emotional, but Nico starts to get lost in thought. He stares at the medic, trying to find nonchalant words that hide how excited he is to see Will. You know this won’t last, as soon as he realizes what you are he’ll leave too.

“Hey there Mr. Dark Lord. How was your night?”

The rest of the night goes extraordinarily normally. Nico drinks his mug of nighttime tea while talking to Will about nothing in particular, a fond part of his evening that Nico could get used to being a normal occurrence. 

As the medicated tea kicks in, Nico falls asleep. Unlike the previous night, a dreamy vision of the lake at camp forms in front of him.

Chapter Text

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘tell Aaron ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.’” - Exodus 8:16.

The air is thick and hot, all the senior campers and Argo crew are scattered around the beach. Light chatter fills the space as the group banters back and forth. Coach Hedge is grilling food and it’s a joyous scene. Percy and Will are sitting on the sand with Nico and they’re laughing together. Nico looks down at his body to see a necklace full of beads and unscarred arms. It’s a world where he is healed. A world where he belongs.

The heaviness he’s gotten used to feeling is totally gone. His pain that plagues his body is seemingly dulled to a level that he can’t remember it being at in so long. It almost feels like how life was back before the Labyrinth and everything else. A time when he was actually happy at times. 

It was foolish of Nico to subconsciously think he could have two nights in a row without a nightmare. That safety was something he was worthy of. The scene begins to dim and every person bursts into a horde of gore and gnats one by one and begins to charge towards Nico, rapidly suffocating him. The sounds of their buzzing filling his ears, sounding almost like their voices. 

You will never belong, freak. 

You’re nothing but a burden.

You’d be better off dead.

Before he can even scream, the landscape swarms him as it changes to the familiar red-gray fog of his father’s domain. Anxiety builds in Nico as he realizes his dream has turned into a flashback from right before the Battle of Manhattan. It’s eerily silent and the one and only Percy Jackson was in front of him, trapped. 

Something happens and it’s like he’s shot out of his own body and is some kind of apparition, observing and not being able to do anything. He has to watch. He is cursed to watch. 

Even though Nico knows what is about to happen, he feels nothing but absolute horror as he’s looking at himself from the outside as he watches his younger self advance towards Percy to free him. He wants to scream a warning in some kind of twisted attempt to save his former self from the trauma. The feeling wraps around him. 

Not that he regrets freeing Percy. He regrets letting himself trust that Hades would stay true to his word. That the gods would not deceive. That he was worthy of Percy’s trust. But he’s rendered silent. Watching in horror when he’s violently pulled back into his body as Percy lunges at him. 

He feels everything again as if no time has passed. 

Suddenly, Nico can’t breathe. Literally. Percy has him pinned, Riptide to his neck. There was no part of Nico that could have anticipated this.

Except I should have known I wasn’t worth anything to any of them . 

Nico’s heart is practically beating out of his chest as vision starts to go black, like thousands of miniscule gnats closing in on him. 

Swarming.

Simultaneously, Nico knows that he deserves it, after what he did to Percy. He brought him down here for what? No information about his family? To continue not knowing anything about his past? The cold of the bronze is fighting with the warm feeling as his oxygen depletes and blood begins to trickle down his neck. 

For a brief second, Percy lets up just enough for Nico to get in a gasping breath and plead for his life, “I didn’t know! I’m sorry! Please. I swear on the River Styx.”

It takes a few more minutes of heated shouting from Percy and Nico begging for his life until Percy lets Nico go. He doesn’t really know, time didn’t feel real. It still doesn’t feel real. Everything was moving at lightning speed and slower than slow all at the same time. Something about being strangled will do that. 

It takes all of Nico’s willpower to not throw up as he harshly coughs between strained breaths, trying to regain his breath. He staggers to his feet, twisting his ankle as tries to follow Percy who has already begun to walk away. Nico vaguely hears Percy brush him off, telling him not to follow and to stay in the underworld where he’s more useful. 

He is stopped in his tracks at those words, knowing that he doesn’t have anybody in any world for him anymore. He’s alone. Again. As always. Nobody wants a useless son of Hades in the overworld. He doesn’t belong around anybody, he never will. 

A voice rings in his head, a sick mix of King Minos’ voice and his own brings Nico to his knees. But you can’t even complain, boy. 

You deserved this. 

You deserve to die.

It should’ve been you instead of Bianca.

“No no no no no no,” Nico mutters, pressing his hands against his ears in a weak attempt to block out Minos’ voice. 

“You aren’t here, you aren’t here. You’re okay, you’re okay,” Nico repeats to himself, the calming effect not coming as the phantom sounds intensify. 

Everything is roaring. His throat is burning, he can still feel Percy’s blade on him. All Nico can do is pray to whatever god will give him the light of day. Pray that he can pull himself back to reality. Pray that his limited skills as a child of the underworld will let him navigate out of this nightmare and wake himself up. 

Gods, just let me fucking end this. 

His world begins violently trembling, maybe it’s Percy, son of the Earthshaker, finally following through on what Nico deserves. Maybe it’s Minos taking back the title of Ghost King. Or maybe it’s his father, deciding he actually would rather have Bianca than Nico. Either way, Nico’s fate is sealed— this is it for him. If he’s lucky, he’ll be dead.

Chapter Text

Nico shoots up in bed to a familiar feeling: pure panic. The muted morning light streams through his window, but Nico is too busy hyperventilating to acknowledge it. Everything feels too tight, too close. He rips off his jacket, shirt, and necklaces but still feels the phantom pressure of Riptide. His body starts to feel numb as he fails to calm himself down. 

Useless, useless, useless. Nico is floating in all the worst ways, losing control. You can’t lose control. Not here. Not now. They can’t see this. Fuck fuck fuck. 

The shadows in the room start to crawl towards him and the lights flicker. Nico drags his nails across his arms, desperately trying to ground himself enough to get his powers under control. He distantly feels his bed shift and a cold feeling on his arms, stopping his fingers from hurting him. 

“Dentro e fuori. Dentro e fuori. You’re in the infirmary. Breathe, Nico,” a calm voice next to him speaks, “Can I move my hands to touch your back and trust you’ll be safe still?”

Nico hesitates before processing the ice packs placed on his arms and nods. That’s when he realizes that it’s WIll Solace. He moves his arms around Nico’s body, supporting his weight and rubbing his back. Nico places his hand on Will’s chest, hoping the rhythm of Will’s breathing will ground him like it was able to before. 

Will continues whispering to Nico the same mantras, “You’re safe, I’m here, dentro e fuori,” 

As he keeps talking, Nico’s hyperventilating slows to soft cries. The healer stares worriedly at Nico while holding him, keeping on with what he’s doing while waiting for Nico to show what to do next. After several minutes, Nico moves the ice packs off of him and attempts to sit up more. 

Will shifts in the bed, “Let me get you some bandages for that.”

Nico dissociates while the medic cleans his arms and wraps them. From the brief glances he sneaks, it’s a lot worse than the last time. He dreads having to look at it when the bandages have to come off. 

Gods, I’m such a fucking mess. I didn’t even realize I did this. He’s going to be so mad at me and rightfully so— 

“Hey there, shit happens and it’s okay. I’m not mad. Are you feeling ready to talk about it?” Will interrupts Nico’s spiral, “No pressure, I just want to help you feel more okay.”

Nico opens his mouth to speak, but is quickly met with the fact he can’t. 

Of course, idiota. 

He points at his jacket thrown on the ground, which Will quickly hands to him. Digging through his pockets, he finds a small notebook and a pen. His hands are still shaking, but he manages some messy Ancient Greek scrawl, “Voice not working.”

Almost reflexively, Will starts to move his hands rapidly before shaking his head at himself and speaking, “Went into signing mode there, sorry. We can wait. Let me bring you some toast and then we can do your morning treatments. After that, we’ll reevaluate, okay?”

Nico nods, thankful and slightly confused about how Will is reacting to him not being able to talk. Everybody before just called him a freak about it. It’s so frustrating to Nico. He knows that he has so much within him to tell all the time, but half of the time he either can’t find the words in English or the energy to verbalize. 

Will babbles on about the latest way the Stoll brothers have been causing problems on purpose, which has something to do with moving everything in the infirmary a few inches to the right. Nico is glad that Will is filling the silence, knowing that it would be too overwhelming to be alone with his thoughts again. He always knows the exact right moves. He’s so perfect. 

“I’m uh… I’m feeling a little better now. Thanks for… for everything,” Nico speaks, his voice still raspy from earlier. 

“Glad to hear your voice, Nico. Feeling ready to talk?” Will responds warmly.

Nico nods, “It wasn’t as bad as my usual nightmares or panic attacks, so that’s good. Even though it looked scarier than the last one. The shadows thing is pretty normal for me, I think the only reason it didn’t happen the other day was because I physically didn’t have enough energy, even in my subconscious, to use my powers like that. Same thing sort of with the—”

Will abruptly cuts him off, holding up a finger asking for one moment, “I’m so sorry, my CIs just died, I forgot to charge them I think. I can’t hear you right now, give me a couple minutes I’ll be right back.” 

What’s a Sea Eye? And what does he mean charging?  

Nico peeks outside of his room to see Will rummaging through cabinets as Kayla is rapidly moving her hands, occasionally pausing to stomp on the floor while waving in Will’s direction, with an angry facial expression. It looks like he can understand what’s happening, but is trying to wave her off. Trying being the operative word, but it’s not working. Will moves his hand in the same way as he did two days ago with Nico, with a fist rubbing his chest.

He tucks something under his hair then sticks his hands up in surrender to the girl, “I fell asleep by accident! I need to go now, it’s not like I don’t have spare batteries!”

“We will be talking about this, William Andrew Solace! You’re allowed to take hearing breaks, but you only forget when you overwork yourself!” Kayla yells at the son of Apollo as he speed walks back towards Nico’s room.

“Okay I’m back, super sorry about that again,” Will says, sitting down and shaking out his hands, “Want to keep talking? I can hear you again.”

“Yeah, uh… I think the nails thing and shadows were worse this time because I had more energy to spare. When I fell asleep, it actually started as a pretty good dream. Then it changed to a flashback from the time when uh…” Nico hesitates, not wanting to throw Percy under the bus but also wanting to tell Will what happened. 

Will looks at him, intensely staring.

He mutters under his breath, trying to find the right words, “Exodus 8:16.”

“Gnats,” Will realizes, finding the bible verse in his head, “Take your time, Neeks. I’ll be here no matter how long it takes.”

“It was from the time that Percy strangled and almost killed me with Riptide in the Underworld after I betrayed him so it was really quite reasonable and I deserved it but also still wasn’t really fun exactly,” Nico rapidly spits out in one breath. 

“You’re lucky I changed my batteries and I’m decent at lipreading, mister,” Will replies, trying to lighten the mood a bit, “No matter what you did, though, you don’t deserve the pain you have to live with now. Have you talked about it with Percy? He’s here a lot, it’s clear he cares about you, but do you feel safe?”

“Yeah, we talked about it a little. He feels bad, we both made a lot of mistakes during the Titan War. I feel safe around him, just sometimes other things remind me of… that. I’m not mad at him, not anymore at least. We both had the pressure of our entire worlds on us, be it the prophecy or family or whatever. Also I can take Percy in a fight now. That fact does wonders,” Nico replies, chuckling a bit as he thinks about the ways he could win sparring. 

“I’m glad it seems mostly okay now, maybe talking more will help you get to a point where those things don’t hurt as much to remember?” Will suggests.

Feeling comfortable with what he told Will and his anxiety going back down to the normal amount, Nico suddenly switches topics, “Also what are Sea Eyes? See Ayes? I don’t know. What do you mean charge them? Why couldn’t you hear earlier? And what was Kayla doing?”

Will lets out a hearty laugh, leaving Nico completely confused, “CIs, stands for cochlear implants. I was born Deaf, my first language is American Sign Language, ASL. I actually avoided monsters for a while because I went to Deaf boarding schools until I came to camp. They’re usually hidden by my hair, so not a lot of people see them at first.”

Will pulls back his hair to show the devices, “I had surgery when I was really little. They stick to my head with a magnet and go on my ears, but I need to plug in the batteries to charge them so they actually work. They aren’t the exact same as your hearing, but they do the job with the help of lipreading and captions. Kayla was using ASL to scold me and was stomping so I could feel the fact she was trying to scold me because she says I was overworking myself. Earlier, when you weren’t talking, I accidentally defaulted to ASL because in my brain no talking means it’s signing time.”

Nico tries to hide his face of shock, how could he have not known this about Will? They have technically known each other for years. Was Nico really that oblivious? He tries to find a good response that’s nice and affirming when Will interrupts Nico’s thoughts.

“Hey, don’t beat yourself up over it, Nico. Most people don’t realize until I tell them. Also I’m literally a son of Apollo, the god of music! It’s pretty ironic that I’m Deaf. Although, I can still hear music with my CIs and I can sing the hymns on key because it’s just like… in my soul like how Ancient Greek is. But yeah, there’s more technology at camp than Chiron lets on, there has to be. Plus, I could totally help you learn sign! A good bulk of the senior campers know at least some,” Will beams, easing Nico’s worries instantly. 

Before Nico can thank Will, Kayla comes barging into the room, just as angry as when he last saw her.

“Did you really think you could avoid me like that? So help me gods above and below if you are idiotic enough to think that being with your little lover boy is going to stop me. Austin and I have literally been on your ass about getting real sleep in a real bed since the battle ended! There’s only a few patients left, none of them are critical, take a damn nap in our cabin until lunch. Four hours. Shoo!” Kayla asserts, pushing Will out of the room. 

Nico’s just sitting there in shock, talk about a whirlwind of Apollo kids. 

“Sorry about the show, he’s been working himself ragged all week. It’s nothing personal against you,” she turns away towards the doorway as she continues, “He just needs to learn a HEALTHY WORK-LIFE BALANCE! DON’T THINK I CAN’T HEAR YOU SHUFFLING AROUND OUT THERE, SOLACE! JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN’T DOESN’T MEAN I CAN’T!” 

“It’s okay. Can you hand me my clothes on the floor? I think I’m going to try to sleep a bit more,” Nico responds, praying that Kayla doesn’t keep yelling. 

“Of course. I know you have problems with nightmares and flashbacks, this is something that I sometimes use to help keep them away with other patients when it’s really bad. Do you want to give it a try? Hopefully you can get some decent rest until lunchtime,” Kayla responds, closing the blinds and holding up a small vial.

Nico nods, not wanting to have to deal with being awake as early as it is. He doesn’t know the time, but he knows it’s morning and that’s too early. Kayla injects the medicine into a vein in his hand while singing a hymn, causing the substance to glow. It feels warm and strangely makes his mouth taste like tiramisu. His body relaxes and the son of Hades is lulled into a much needed dreamless sleep.

Chapter Text

The sound of soft shuffling around the infirmary room gently pulls Nico out of his sleep. He turns to see Will Solace, newly energized, fiddling with the wheelchair full of equipment from last night. 

“Last day here! I bet you can’t wait to get out of here,” Will smiles, noticing that Nico is awake, “Today we’re going to make sure you know how to use all of this. How was your morning nap?” 

“No dreams or flashbacks. Kayla injected something before I went to sleep. It glowed and tasted like tiramisu somehow?” Nico answers, not really sure how an injection could have a taste.

“Yeah, that was like a mega concentrated, Apollo power-fuelled version of what the tea is. We try not to use it so much because it's easy to accidentally overdo it, both for the patient and the healer. I'm basically the only Apollo healer who can use it without needing a nap and it's not the type of thing we want you building a tolerance to if we can help it,” Will explains. 

He listens along carefully. Nico’s not particularly invested in the ins and outs of it, but he likes hearing Will talk. So no complaints on his end. 

The medic continues talking, “I think the tea technically still works, but only for the nightmare part. It's the flashbacks that are causing your problems. I'll talk to Pollux later today about refining it for that. Are you okay if I bring in Nyssa from the Hephaestus cabin to help with fitting the braces for you?”

Nico nods, knowing that saying no isn't really an option for this. He figures that everybody will find out the minute he walks out of the infirmary anyways, so he might as well get the process rolling now when he has a semblance of choice in it. 

Will pulls out two full leg braces that are a sleek black metal with hinges at each joint and velcro straps. He helps Nico lift his legs and fasten the brace securely. It feels tight but comfortable with the foam lining protecting his skin from the metal. Nico's leg muscles relax. He didn’t realize that he has been defaulting to tensing them all this time. Will peeks his head into the hallway and shouts for Nyssa to come in. 

“For her to adjust them correctly, you need to be standing. I know it’s still hard for you to stand independently right now, so you can hold onto me for support,” Will explains while pulling Nico into a standing position.

Nico, only slightly lightheaded, firmly holds onto Will’s outstretched forearms as Will supports him at the waist. Nyssa is buzzing around the two, shaping the metal and adjusting the hinges to perfectly match the contour of Nico’s legs. Nico barely registers the relief to his legs, completely distracted as he stares at the son of Apollo. 

Gods, he is so beautiful. And strong.

Nyssa steps away from the two, admiring her handiwork, when she notices them frozen in space, “Hello? Earth to Will. I’m done.” 

Pulled back to the present, the boys stumble over their words with a chorus of appreciation to Nyssa, who just sighs and laughs as she leaves the room. 

“Looks perfect, they should be able to fit under your pants, although over might be more comfortable. I’d recommend wearing them most days, but don’t go to sleep in them. Next we’re going to talk about the mobility aids I have here,” Will brings his attention back to Nico, lowering him to sit on the bed as he brings over the wheelchair. 

“I have a cane, forearm crutches, a rollator, and a wheelchair here. All of them are for you to keep,” Will then explains how to use each of them and when they would be best to use before concluding, “It’s up to you to decide what works best, even if it means changing part way through the day. We’re going to skip trying the cane for now, but let’s try the other ones out. I’ll be here to catch you, you won’t fall I promise.”

Nico chooses the crutches first, pulling himself up with them as Will spots him. It takes a few moments to get used to, but Nico gets the hang quickly. It feels good to have something to take the weight off his legs. Nico shakes out his wrists quickly, wincing a bit at the pain putting his body weight on them seems to be causing. The medic immediately notices and grabs a different pair of crutches, helping Nico swap them out while explaining that the new ones are platform crutches that should fix the wrist pain problem and buzzing around making minor adjustments. 

Nico then switches to the rollator and briefly walks around the room before sitting in the seat, in slightly less pain than usual but his legs still burning. He’s relieved to finally get to the wheelchair, it looks like it was some Hephaestus kid’s chair based on the decorations but otherwise fits him well and is easy to push around. Nico feels a certain level of bliss being able to move around without being overwhelmed with pain or dizziness. 

“I think it’s a wheelchair day. But, all of them worked really nicely and I liked them. Maybe I can ask my father about if somebody could work it so my sword can be incorporated nicely into them. Like Riptide but son of Hades edition,” Nico says, trying to contain his excitement when he notices Will’s confused face, “It’s Stygian Iron, it’s dipped in the River Styx and can reap souls. So only people with Underworld lineage, or gods of the Underworld, can work with it. The Hephaestus cabin would have the explosion of the decade if they tried anything in their forges. And that sounds like a lot of paperwork.”

Will laughs, “Yep. And the paperwork is definitely the worst part of that.”

“A dyslexic’s nightmare,” Nico quips back.

“My dyslexia isn’t even that bad, I just hate paperwork,” Will defends himself, then claps his hands together, “Speaking of which, we have a couple of things to do right before dinner when you’re officially discharged, but otherwise you’re free the rest of the day!” 

“Do you want to play some cards with me? It’s okay if you’re too busy,” Nico asks, not looking forward to the hours of boredom that are the alternative. 

“Cards with my favorite son of Hades and avoid paperwork? Count me in,” Will grins, sitting down and pulling a deck of cards out of his pocket, “It’s my turn to choose the game, do you know how to play Speed?”

“I’m the only living son of Hades. That’s like saying Jason is your favorite son of Zeus. And of course I know how to play Speed, you better be ready to lose,” Nico replies, straightening his posture like he means business. 

“And he is my favorite son of Zeus!”

“Technically it’s Jupiter.”

“Same difference. This is a Greek camp, anyways.”

“Don’t let him hear you say that. He might smite me for fun,” Nico half jokingly responds, nervously glancing up to the sky before dealing the cards. 

The two play cards, switching to different games every few rounds, all of which Nico wins. If there’s one benefit of having been a games-obsessed little kid before the internet existed, it’s being ridiculously good at basically any card game or board game. 

“I don’t understand how I keep losing War. It's a luck-based game! It doesn’t make sense! Is Hades secretly the god of card games too? What kind of Underworld witchery are you doing? I thought I told you no Underworld-y stuff.” Will pouts. 

“I’m just better than you, what can I say?” Nico smirks.

Will rolls his eyes, catching a glimpse of the clock, “Whoa, it’s already time to get you discharged! Basically, keep up with your meds and daily routines, keep eating regular balanced meals, we’re going to do weekly check ups to see how things are going, and for the love of every god out there please don’t shadow travel for at least another few weeks. And limit the Underworld powers to small stuff only for emergencies too.”

“What about, like, short distances? Like emergency McDonald’s.”

“That’s not an emergency”

“I would argue it is. I’m a growing boy.”

“There are other ways to get McDonald’s that don’t involve you fading into the shadows. Like driving. Or DoorDash. Or Jason’s ability to fly. Or the Argo’s plates. Or—”

“I guess I’ll survive. Just barely,” Nico cuts off Will, pretending to keel over. 

“Get your dramatic little butt into your wheelchair, it’s dinnertime. I’ll have Kayla and Austin drop off the rest of your things in your cabin. You need to practice transferring by yourself, anyways,” Will quips back, rolling Nico’s wheelchair to the bed and standing at the ready to catch him just in case. 

Nico, after only a bit of struggling, gets himself settled in the wheelchair. It takes him a minute to catch his breath, coughing a bit before he takes a deep breath, “Okay, I’m ready now. Don’t look too worried there, this is pretty normal.” 

“How the hell did you save the world not once, but twice, before I caught onto this?” Will asks.

Nico shrugs and starts heading towards the Mess Hall. His anxiety starts to build as more campers come into his view. Would they think I’m weak? That I can’t be trusted in battle?  

“Hey, I know it’s scary but it’s going to be okay. People might ask questions, but they’re not going to think any less of you. Especially since the two wars, we have a lot more disabled campers than there used to be. It’s a lot different here from when you first got here, I’ll be by your side the whole time,” Will comforts Nico, once again reading his mind. 

To Nico’s surprise, the buffet of food is at wheelchair height, all the tables have cut outs in the benches for wheelchairs, and they seemed to have spaced out the tables more when they expanded the Mess Hall to accommodate more cabins. They even attempted to patch up the massive crack in the ground that Nico had made a few years back. 

He even notices other campers sporting mobility aids like his own. Sweeping the room with his eyes, he then spots Percy and Jason sitting together at the Poseidon table in a playful argument while they eat. As Nico makes his way through the dinner line, Jason notices Nico and motions for him and Will to join them.

“I thought we had to sit alone?” Nico asks as he gets situated at the table with the other boys.

“We saved the world twice and aren’t even supposed to exist. Plus, my dad doesn’t really care much. It’s lonely and sad to eat alone, so I convinced Chiron to make an exception for children of the Big Three. And loverboy over here told Chiron he needs to be here for medical reasons,” Percy explains, pointing at Will who is trying to hide the fact he’s blushing, “Anyways, the real matter at hand: Tater tots or hash brown patties, and why is the answer tater tots?”

“They’re the same thing! Just a different shape! And hash browns are more convenient on the go anyways,” Jason argues, throwing his hands in the air exacerbated. 

“Convenience isn’t everything sometimes you just need a silly little treat in the form of potato ball goodness,” Percy refutes, “Will?”

“I feel like if I get involved this is going to end badly for me. I’m southern, I prefer my breakfast potatoes fried,” Will timidly answers.

“I have to agree with Jason, but they don’t have tater tots at McDonald’s so I might be biased,” Nico adds, trying to save Will from being scared off by the others. 

“Another soldier lost to the dark side of hash brown patties. Truly tragic. We will need a shroud immediately,” Percy dramatically responds, “My mortal best friend likes tater tots more, he’d be on my side here.”

The conversation continues, mainly between Jason and Percy, for the rest of dinner. Other campers intermittently interrupt to thank the four and ask questions about their powers. Nico tries to smile along, answering the questions as politely as he can manage. He gets it, though. There hasn’t been any children of the Big Three in a long time and Will is the camp’s only healer, and seeing them at full force in battle is jarring to say the least. 

At one point, a group of the younger campers point out Nico’s wheelchair. Much to Nico’s relief Percy answers for him, “It’s just how Nico was born, but he will definitely still kick your butt while sparring, trust me.” 

As the four head back towards the cabins, Percy pulls out his inhaler, prompting Nico to do the same. Nico is thankful that they seemed to add real paved paths— not just dirt ones— throughout the camp. I’ll have to thank Annabeth for that one. Will and Percy are rambling about all the changes that have happened over the past few years 

“For a camp that is literally magical and has an ambulatory wheelchair user for the activities director, this place really had gods awful accessibility. After the Labyrinth, the destruction presented a good opportunity, and distraction, to start making this place more accessible overall. Plus, you know, if anybody could make Universal Design happen I feel like it’s us,” Will recalls, his voice tinged with a bit of sadness. Quickly, he switches back into his happier persona, “But, it’s made our lives a ton easier. Have you ever tried to move a catapult through grass? Talk about a nightmare.”

“Are you planning to go to the campfire tonight?” Jason asks the other boys as they arrive at cabin 13. 

“I don’t think so. The smoke will be hard to deal with. Also, I don’t think I have enough energy to go out again today. Maybe tomorrow, though. If you want, we can hang out for a bit here?” Nico responds as he fidgets with the bracelet Will gave him, looking to the healer who’s nodding in agreement. 

“Ah, I’ll have to talk to them about if we can figure out making a smokeless campfire. It’s really not great for me to go either, now that you mention that. I’m down to hang out for a bit.” Percy responds, Jason giving a thumbs up as the four walk into the cabin. 

“It’s messy, sorry. And also kind of sad, but that’s not my fault totally,” Nico warns, wincing at the state he knows he left it in and the hideous decor. 

The cabin has food wrappers, empty water bottles, and dirty clothes in various states of torn apart strewn across the floor. Nico didn’t even realize he could be this messy when he barely even moved. The sheets on the bed are basically on the floor at this point, and the windowless room’s air is stale— no wonder Hazel decided to stay with the Romans when they were here. 

To add insult to injury, the bathroom still has a large puddle of water from when Nico was rudely awakened by Jason’s knocking a few days ago. Apparently he hadn’t turned off the sink, but the magic of the cabin had sensed it was empty for a while and shut itself off. Honestly, Nico is surprised that Will hadn’t said anything about this when they came here to talk. Maybe that’s the demigod ADHD working in his favor— Will was too focused on the conversation to take too much notice of the disaster zone that is his cabin. 

Nico gets settled on the couch as the three other boys whizz around the room cleaning. He tries to argue that they don’t need to do that and he’ll get to it eventually, but they all shut him down and insist that they want to help him out. Will is busy setting up all of Nico’s medical equipment right next to his bed, Percy is using his powers to clean the bathroom and dirty clothes, and Jason is tackling the clutter around the room. Nico feels bad just sitting there, so he decides to create a few windows, much to Will’s dismay as he uses his powers. 

“Eh, I wouldn’t stress about it too much, Will. I’ve seen the kid summon huge pillars out of nowhere and be able to keep going. Punching out a few holes is like me swirling some water around in a sink— it’s basically passive,” Percy reassures from the bathroom, trying to calm down Will’s fretting. 

“You don’t even have any glass or screens for them! They’re just holes in the wall! Mosquitoes are the silent killer,” Will protests.

“Yeah I do, they’re in that closet. Can’t trust the dead to read a blueprint correctly, I guess,” Nico shrugs..

“I’m not even going to ask. I’m protecting my peace and not even asking anymore. I’ll set them up, I learned some basic construction at Camp Jupiter,” Jason decides. 

The four keep bantering as they make Nico’s cabin liveable again. Nico almost forgot what it’s like to have a space to call his own. Even though the only things that are really his is medical equipment, having Will, Jason, and Percy make it feel warmer than the dark cabin ever did before. Now if Nico could just get some less depressing decor. 

Just as they finish and the boys flop onto the couch with Nico, they hear harpies screeching outside as curfew nears. Jason drags Percy out of the cabin, citing that just because they can get away with being out past curfew doesn’t mean they should do it. The door slams shut and a silence looms in the cabin.

Will lingers behind, “I can stay if you’d like? Head Healer privileges. For medical reasons, of course.”

Chapter Text

It takes every bit of Nico’s willpower to not implode when the son of Apollo offers to stay. 

Holy shit holy shit holy shit what do I say? Yes I want you to stay because I have found my type and it is you? No go away so I can brood alone? 

Shocking himself back to the conversation with that thought, Nico responds as casually as he can muster, “Sure.”

Before Nico can get lost in his thoughts again, he feels the warm embrace of the healer as he helps Nico to his bed. Gods, if only this feeling could last forever . Will hands Nico a set of clean pajamas and tells Nico to let him know when he’s finished changing, heading towards the bathroom to give the son of Hades some privacy. 

Nico looks down at the clothes: a generic pair of plaid bottoms and a hideously tie-dyed yellow pullover sporting the symbols of the original 12 cabins with Apollo and the number 7 printed like a jersey on the back. Nico notices Will shuffling around in the bathroom, and is reminded that he should be changing, quickly doing so and letting Will know he’s decent. 

Will emerges precariously balancing a round pitcher of water, a mug, and a small brown paper bag, “This is an electric kettle for boiling water for your tea. I can’t seem to find an outlet though, so I need to connect it to a battery. I have one here that should work for tonight, but first thing tomorrow I need to talk to the Hephaestus cabin about adding some. Shouldn’t take them too long.”

“I didn’t think I would need any electricity when I made the cabin, sorry,” Nico responds, looking at the ground. 

Will probably thinks you’re an idiot, a freak in the wrong time. Gods, you can’t be doing this right now. 

Nico tries to subtly shake his hands out and rock side to side in an attempt to calm himself down. Will is too immersed in the task of the tea currently to take notice, which relieves his worries that he’s being too burdensome to the medic. Still rocking slightly, Nico notices that Will has sat next to his bed and placed a cup of tea in his lap. To his surprise, Will mirrors his own rocking, glancing around the room silently. 

“Sometimes, I accidentally get lost in what I’m doing and it gets to be a bit much for others. I appreciate you reminding me to slow down,” Will quietly says after many minutes, careful to not overwhelm the son of Hades, “It’s nice and quiet in here.”

“Your company is nice,” Nico responds, just above a whisper. 

“Tomorrow’s my first day since the battle ended without a shift at the infirmary, and the activities schedules have kind of gone down the drain for the rest of the summer session. Maybe we could figure out what we both want to do tomorrow?” Will suggests, much to Nico’s relief as the mood lightens. Will pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket with a long list of daily activities written in English, Ancient Greek, and Latin, “I’m impressively awful at most weapons, so I tend to avoid the arena for the safety of others. What sounds good to you?”

Nico leans over to look at the paper, bracing himself on Will’s shoulder to make sure he doesn’t fall, “Ugh, I’ve trained enough in weapons for at least another couple weeks. Plus I don’t think I’m in a place to be able to really spar how I like to right now, anyways. Maybe archery, arts and crafts, and then we can figure it out after that?”

“That sounds like a good plan, there’s some more organizational tasks that are less intensive that aren’t listed here because they’re for the head counselors only that we could do too. Things like organizing the armory or attic that we’ve been putting off for years because of everything being so busy,” Will adds, “Oh! I almost forgot. The head counselors are having the big war debrief meeting and we both need to be there. I think it’s happening after lunch for ‘til it’s done. It’ll probably be long, but we need some kind of official record of what we did, what went wrong, what we learned, that kind of stuff.”

“Organizing things sounds good to me. Do I really need to go to the meeting? It’s not like I was one of the Seven or anything. And I’m only a head counselor because I’m the only child of Hades here.” Nico asks, hoping that he won’t have to sit through hearing all of that again.

“You’re still a head counselor though, and I know that you had a big part in this even if you don’t admit it. I won’t lie, these meetings are hard. But everyone there gets that, and we try to make it as painless as possible. That’s honestly the big reason these meetings tend to go long,” Will comforts Nico, “I’m sure we’re going to go over expectations tomorrow, but I’ll just say that they don’t expect you to go through each excruciating detail, they want to know the main details that will help campers in the future.”

“Makes sense I guess. Still not thrilled, though,” Nico hesitantly agrees. 

“Trust me, none of us are happy about it. It’s a necessary evil,” Will affirms, “Sometimes it helps for people to talk about it before going into the big meeting. No pressure if you don’t want to, though.” 

Nico takes a long sip of his tea as he debates if he wants to talk about the quest with Will. He’s sure that if Will doesn’t see him as a monster after letting Octavian kill himself and Leo, he definitely will after learning about all the things Nico did the past year. Like Bryce Lawrence . But, Nico supposes it’s better to disappoint Will now, rather than later down the line. 

Before I have the chance to get too attached. 

Nico takes a deep breath and fidgets with the bracelet Will gave him, “Being the subject of a quest, especially ones that are so huge, makes you do things you’d never think you would do. The Prophecy of Seven wasn’t the only one we received, Annabeth received one to find the Athena Parthenos. In the end, it turned out to be directly connected to the Prophecy of Seven and me with the whole foes bear arms to the Doors of Death part. We all made a lot of regrettable, self-sacrificial, and emotional decisions. Like shadow traveling halfway across the globe. We were… we were so close. South Carolina—”

Nico involuntarily takes in a sharp breath, not realizing that his heart had begun racing so fast. His body forces him to focus on his breathing, which is steadily speeding up, and he begins absentmindedly scratching his arms. The son of Apollo carefully places his hands on top of Nico’s and is met with a violent flinch before Nico’s brain reminds him that Will is safe and he stops scratching. Will gently rubs the son of Hades’ hands with his thumbs and Nico begins to calm down. 

“You don’t need to keep going if you don’t want to. We can talk about something else, or nothing at all,” the healer offers.

Nico shakes his head and starts fidgeting with his fingers, “No, you need to know this. I owe it to you. I was already exhausted by the time we landed. I had gotten close to Reyna while we traveled, considering certain… circumstances. We were talking and Reyna had just told me something that would have completely wrecked her reputation in the Legion, like stripped of her praetorship kind of thing, even though it was completely justified.”

He feels his anger boiling up just thinking about the whole situation again, his emotions swirling. It takes a lot to keep them under control so he can finish talking.

Nico continues, “This guy, Bryce, who was working for Octavian snuck up on us and attacked, he said something about Reyna and was about to kill her when I just lost it. Black out angry. Reyna and Hedge had to tell me what happened later. My powers took over and I dropped the temperature of the whole area, made everybody see all my pain, split the ground trapping Bryce, and turned him into a nameless spirit before banishing him to the underworld. Also then I collapsed and wasn’t solid for like three days.”

Will stares at Nico. Speechless. He begins to subconsciously sign, small and close to his body, as he wracks his brain for a just response. 

He shakes out his hands and flashes a warm smile, “It took a lot of bravery for you to tell me that, thank you. I can’t imagine how terrifying it must have felt to lose control of yourself like that and leave yourself so vulnerable.”

“You’re not mad? You don’t think I’m a monster? Dangerous to be around? An omen of death?” Nico asks, thoroughly confused by Will’s response. 

“Of course not! You said it yourself, being on a quest to save the world often means being stretched to your absolute limit. You were protecting your friends, your loved ones, and literally all of humanity. That makes you the opposite of a bad person or an omen of death— it makes you a hero,” Will answers without hesitation, “I’ll be the first to say that I’ve never been in your position, I’ve never been a fighter and my extent of skills are as a combat medic. But, I’ve seen my fair share of pain and death, and have had to make hard decisions in the heat of things. Any half decent demigod will empathize with that, or at least try to understand.”

“I don’t know… I’ve always heard whispers from campers. Regardless of what I do to try to save camp. But I appreciate you saying that, it feels good to hear,” Nico says, taking another sip of his tea now that he’s mostly calmed down, “I think I want a distraction now, do you have any good stories?”

“I always do. It’s a perk of growing up Deaf. This one is a classic, the Lumberjack Story. I’ll sign and speak at the same time, maybe you can catch onto some of the signs. It might be a bit choppy in English, though.” Will beams, excited because most of his siblings have gotten sick of his Deaf stories years ago. 

Nico flashes a small smile in return, getting more settled into bed. He looks intently at Will, cuing him to begin his story. 

“One day, a man was going to work, he was a lumberjack. He was tall, wearing a flannel shirt, carried his ax in one hand and his lunch box in the other. The lumberjack walks through the woods looking for the best trees to cut down and he comes across a perfect tall tree. He puts down his lunchbox and starts swinging at the tree, Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Over and over again, making progress as the tree starts to fall. Finally, the tree is ready to fall and the lumberjack yells ‘Timber!’ and the tree falls with a loud crash. He then chops down another tree that’s even bigger the same way. Feeling hungry from all the hard work, he breaks for lunch. He eats his apple and sandwich and drinks his thermos of coffee before heading back to work. He’s walking through the words, searching and searching for the perfect tree when he comes across the mother of all trees. Like, gigantic trunk, almost taller than the eye can see. He whacks and whacks at the tree for what feels like ages, slowly but surely making progress—”

Will pauses for a second, realizing he got a bit too engrossed in storytelling and needed to check back in with what was going on in the real world. He glances over at the son of Hades to find him fast asleep, still holding his half-filled cup of tea. Will smiles and gently takes the mug and places it on the nightstand. 

“Goodnight, Niccolò. Sweet dreams.” Will whispers, silently praying to Morpheus for a peaceful night’s rest.

Chapter Text

“I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them.” - Exodus 8:21  

Cool air hits Nico’s face, running a chill down his body. It's the dead of night, and the sounds of crickets, frogs, and cicadas ripple through the air. Nico looks to his left to see the lights of the Big House illuminating the camp, drawing him closer like one of the many insects swarming the porch lights. 

He tentatively enters the building, hearing a cacophony of voices coming from the Recreation Room— or as he better knew it as, the War Council Room. Anxiety growing in his chest, he opens the door to see the room jam packed with far more campers than Nico has ever seen in a meeting. Yet, he can’t quite seem to recognize any of them clearly. Chiron is standing at the front of the room with Mr. D and Argus, all with laptops opened in front of them. 

“We need to know what happened,” Chiron says with a solemn face. 

A chair appears as the ping pong table magically expands for Nico to sit. Untrusting of it, Nico nervously sits down and starts to fidget with his sleeves. The campers groan, as to indicate the meeting has been going all day and his late presence is just the miserable cherry on top. He tries his best to stay present as the vaguely familiar voices begin to speak. 

“Everything got worse when he crashed into the lake. He’s been nothing but a curse on the camp,” Mr. D grumbles, prompting conversation among the campers. 

Ouch, but fair. It’s not like it’s wrong or anything. Since I’ve gotten here over half of camp has left or died. 

“Now, now. We cannot just make baseless claims. What proof do we have to show?” Chiron asks, gesturing for the rest of the room to jump in.

Nico looks around the room again, bouncing his legs. He opens his mouth to try to defend himself when he realizes why the room is so crowded— the dead were here too. Each and every camper that was killed during battles, the ones that he escorted to Elysium and the ones he still had to.

Chris Rodriguez stands up first and stares daggers at Nico while speaking in a dangerously flat tone “What happened in the labyrinth is his fault. He unleashed the wrath of the labyrinth on me. On all of us.”

A blonde boy that Nico recognizes as Castor, Mr. D’s son, stands up. His arm is gushing and there’s a rapidly bloody patch growing in light hair. “He killed me,” Castor states before bursting into a swarm of flies. 

One after another, each camper repeats the same twisted ritual. Displaying their last painful moments, their injuries, while blaming Nico. And it is my fault. If I had been stronger, quicker, more trusting, less of a freak, maybe they wouldn’t all be dead. It feels like it will never end. Beckendorf hurts the most, one of the only people who hadn’t been completely annoyed with him when he first arrived.

Then the Apollo cabin began. In the moment, Nico hadn’t realized how many children of Apollo had died— that you’ve killed — back when he first met them in the Underworld. It was all such a blur, anyways. But now it was abundantly clear to him that he had killed half of Will’s family. 

The last person to testify was Lee Fletcher. His head was sunken in and blood was smeared across his face. His image flickered between his healthy, bright self that Nico had met less than a year before his demise and the horrific last moments before Thanatos was benevolent enough to take him. 

Then it hit Nico harder than being tackled by Cerberus— Lee was a spitting image of Will. Or he supposed that Will is a spitting image of Lee. 

The messy blonde curls, the medic band, his face. Maybe aged a bit, but even by mortal standards they looked nearly identical considering they were half siblings. Nico has to blink a few times, trying desperately to convince himself that the nearly dead person standing in front of him isn’t Will Solace. The figure splits into two, still flickering between images of life and death, the only difference is one is definitely Will and the other is Lee. 

“You killed us both,” They hiss, the words sinking into Nico’s soul like poison. There’s no point in Nico even trying to defend himself, he wouldn’t even believe it himself. 

Suddenly, thunder roars in the clear skies as a blinding flash fills the room. Nico squeezes his eyes shut, warily opening them to see none other than the King of the Gods, Zeus, and his father. If fear wasn’t controlling his body, a more logical self would have questioned how the two gods were tolerating being in the same room without arguing. They both glare at Nico, filled with a mix of rage and disappointment. 

“You should have died, you’ll never be half of what my Bianca was.”

“You must die for all your slights against Olympus.”

“A monster like you belongs in only one place: Tartarus.”

Nico can’t help but agree with it all. 

Thunder roars, louder than any other sound that Nico could ever imagine. Nico watches in what feels like slow motion as a bolt of lightning is pulled from the sky by Zeus and aimed directly at the son of Hades. 

The flies of the dead charge towards Nico, choking him as the shadows begin to eat at him as well. His body burns as the electricity courses through his body, only to be relieved by the frigid hopelessness of Hades’ shadows. The scene goes dark, but the sound of thousands of flies keep haunting his hearing as the familiar scent of sulfur begins to leech into his senses.

Chapter Text

Nico is torn from his sleep, sitting up immediately as he screams uncontrollably. An involuntary sharp breath interrupts his screaming as becomes acutely aware of the morning sun streaming through the window shades. He faintly hears somebody stumbling around the cabin in his direction until he feels a radiating warmth next to him he knows is the son of Apollo’s. The clarity is brief and fleeting as Nico’s body betrays him and he begins to hyperventilate as hot tears stream down his face. He starts rocking to try to ground himself, and he distantly feels something cold on his arms. 

You killed them all, you killed them all, it’s your fault. 

His hands begin to tingle and his rapid breathing turns into equally fast wheezing, only interrupted by intermittent harsh coughing. Nico feels more and more lightheaded and is on the verge of passing out when he feels a hand rubbing his back and a rubber mask on his face— finally he’s able to draw in a good breath. The healer gently places Nico’s hand over his own chest, modeling deep and calm breaths.

“You’re awake now with Will. You’re in your cabin. Breathe. Dentro e fuori. You’re safe,” Will repeatedly whispers.

Nico’s breathing steadily slows to a normal rate, his chest still tight. He points to the trash can next to his bed, which Will quickly passes. Nico removes his mask and coughs up the remaining rattling phlegm in his lungs for the next several minutes, trying his best not to throw up in the process. 

If my body wasn’t forcing me to focus on not dying of oxygen deprivation, I’d be dying of embarrassment for being so gross in front of Will. 

When he finally stops coughing, he puts the mask back on as Will puts his morning breathing treatment into the machine along with an oxygen line. 

“Don’t try to talk right now. Can you give me a thumbs up or thumbs down or anything in between for how you’re feeling?” Will asks, sitting next to Nico’s bed.

Nico points to his chest and gives a slightly tilted thumbs up, then points to his head and holds his hand sideways. He pauses for a moment, finally feeling back in touch with his body enough to feel the sharp pain in his ankle before pointing at them with a thumbs down. Will gently places his hands on Nico’s ankle and a soft glow emits from them. 

“I can’t do much for the other two right now, but I’m guessing the ankle was because of the pressure you put on them when you sat up suddenly and it got caught weirdly,” Will explains.

The son of Hades sighs in relief, the two boys sit in blissful tranquility as Nico finishes his morning treatments. Will absentmindedly drums his fingers on the bed frame and stares into space. 

I only love the quiet when I’m with Will . 

“You shouldn't heal me every time something is worse. It can't be good for you,” Nico breaks the silence. 

“I’m sorry, it completely slipped my mind to ask first. I’ll try to be better about that,” Will responds wholeheartedly. 

“No it’s not that. I just don’t think you should be using up your energy to heal me when I’m constantly getting hurt. It’s not worth it,” Nico quickly clarifies. 

Will is stunned into silence for a moment, an expression of hurt washes over his face. He takes a deep breath before asking with a strained voice, “Do you think that you deserve to be in pain?”

Nico knows his answer is yes. In fact, he’s pretty sure that Will also knows his answer would be yes. Still, Nico hesitates to speak truthfully. He carefully picks his next words, “Nemesis is the goddess of revenge, but more so it’s balance for wrongdoing. Retribution. It’s the price I pay for everything I’ve done.” 

“Is that what your nightmare was about?” Will asks, slowly piecing together Nico’s responses.

The son of Hades hesitates for a moment, not completely sure if he’s wanting to unpack all of that so soon. Nico nods, then adds, “I don’t want to talk about it, though.”

“No problem at all, how does breakfast sound?” Will redirects the conversation, much to Nico’s relief as he gives a thumbs up. Will passes Nico his braces and one of his newly cleaned outfits, then starts heading towards the bathroom, “I’ll give you some privacy to get changed, the blinds are all closed so don’t worry about anyone seeing in. Stomp or flicker the lights if you need me.”

Nico nods in understanding, getting himself dressed before swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He notices that Will placed all of his mobility aids within his reach from the bed, grabs his crutches, and pulls himself to a standing position. Pain begins to build in his legs, but he decides that he’ll still try to gradually make it towards the bathroom. Standing in the doorway of the bathroom, he sees Will sporting a new outfit as he runs product through his damp blonde curls. The son of Apollo looks up and sees Nico’s reflection in the mirror, spinning around with a beaming smile on his face and waving excitedly. 

“Looking great! I can’t hear you right now, heads up. Need the bathroom?” Will asks, Nico nodding and pointing to the toilet, “Gotcha, open the door when you’re done, my CIs still need some time to charge since I kept them on last night. They should be done by the time we finish eating breakfast.”

The son of Hades shuffles around Will and starts getting ready for the day. He runs his fingers through his hair to try to detangle it when he realizes two things: He desperately needs to wash his hair and his hair is way too long for him to manage currently. Maybe I’ll ask Will about it later today. He finds toothpaste and a new toothbrush set on the countertop for him, and sees that Will had stolen a stool from the infirmary to put in the bathroom. Nico finishes getting ready and opens the bathroom door to see Will lounging on the couch as he writes in a small notebook.

Will looks up at the movement and quickly tucks away the notebook into one of his million cargo shorts pockets, “Ready? You can talk to me if you face me, but I’ll probably miss a good amount of what you say anyways, just a warning.” 

“I think I need my wheelchair today. Also my sword,” Nico says, pointing at his wheelchair and sword then making a sword swinging motion. 

Will seems to get the message and brings both to Nico, who happily sits down. The medic attaches his crutches and sword to mounts on the back of his chair and grabs the portable charging brick attached to his CIs, “I’m ready if you are!”

As the two approach the Mess Hall, Nico sees a long, messy banquet table full of miscellaneous ingredients, a few portable stove burners, and two microwave ovens. Before Nico can figure out what’s for breakfast, Will loudly groans. 

“Ugh, of course today is Everything But the Kitchen Sink Day. I need to get Kayla to interpret for me, be back in a second,” Will says, face palming. 

Nico observes Will having a slightly heated signed conversation with Kayla that he gathered was about Will overworking, considering Will was rubbing his fist on his chest repeatedly and Kayla pointed at the CIs charging in Will’s hand. Eventually, Will grabs Kayla’s hands before signing something, when they both start heading back towards Nico. 

“Because some idiot doesn’t know how to actually take a break, he needs me to interpret for him because it’s Everything But the Kitchen Sink Day. You talk to him like normal, I’ll translate it to ASL, same with anybody else talking to Will. Sometimes he signs for me to translate it to English, sometimes he verbally speaks. I’m shit at simcomming, sorry,” Kayla speaks slowly, rolling her eyes at Will as she moves her hands with each word. 

“What is Everything But the Kitchen Sink Day and should I be scared?” Nico asks nervously. 

“It’s not scary, it’s just annoying. Once a month, Chiron and Mr. D give the Harpies a day off and clean out the kitchen of all the things about to go bad or that nobody wants and sets them all out with ways to prepare them and tell us to ‘fend for ourselves.’ Something about making sure we can actually cook and live out in the real world. The problem is, the Hermes and Athena kids monopolize everything so it’s less of getting food from the table to eat and more of negotiations with campers to get the ingredients to make something half decent,” Will explains. 

The three go look at the table, Nico eyes some English muffins and eggs and Will finds some tofu and fruit. They point to the things they see before walking away to think of a negotiation strategy. 

“I’m thinking vegetarian breakfast sandwiches. English muffins, cook the eggs, and make tofu patties. Somebody at the Apollo table has some cheese we can put on it, and there’s arugula growing next to the strawberry fields. Plus, we can get some of the peaches they have out for fun,” Will says, face as serious as if he was planning a battle, “Now, what do we have to offer them? It looks like Travis and Malcolm have what we want.”

Nico is extremely unconcerned about negotiating, he knows that his powers probably freak out Travis and Malcolm enough that it won’t be a problem. He waves off Will, “Give me my sword, I’ll take care of it.”

Kayla translates, struggling to hide her expression of confused nervousness with what Nico may do. Will raises an eyebrow before grinning and placing Nico’s sword in his lap. Nico motions for the two to follow him to the table. 

“I want the 3 eggs, 3 English muffins, the tofu, and the peaches,” Nico says in a deadly flat tone, staring directly at the two boys. 

“Why should we give it to you?” Malcolm asks, Travis nodding along in agreement. 

Nico stabs his sword into the ground, opening a fissure into the ground and summoning a skeleton bear with a smirk, “Because my friends and I are hungry.”

Malcolm and Travis practically throw the ingredients at the three, and the bear. Will and Kayla are doing everything to contain their laughter. Nico hears Connor also laughing at his brother who’s standing at the other end of the table. 

“Bro, it’s just Nico and you look like you’re about to shit yourself!” Connor wheezes between laughs before turning to Nico, “That was a good one, we gotta plan something together one of these days.”

Nico grins in response and sheaths his sword, “Maybe.”

The three grab a portable stovetop and the other ingredients before settling at the Big Three table. As Will cooks, the other three boys stare at Kayla who has also joined them. 

“...Are you another one of Nico’s secret sisters?” Percy asks, breaking the silence. 

Nico lightly punches Percy in the arm.

Kayla doubles over laughing, taking a moment to regain her composure. She waves at Will and quickly signs to him, who also starts laughing just as hard. 

After a moment, she begins simcomming, “Why was that your first thought? I have literally healed all of you bimbos before! I’m just here to interpret for Will because he’s not having a very hearing morning on account of him being a workaholic.” 

Will shoves Kayla, “I swear, I’ll make sure your sandwich is the best one and then eat in front of you. I had to keep my CIs on to sleep last night and I didn’t have any charged spare batteries, so I can’t hear y’all talking and Kayla agreed to translate if people talk to me. Just talk to me normally, I can speak back after Kayla interprets. And my interpreter gets the same exceptions I do when I need them, I arranged it with Mr. D back when I first got here.”

“I’m a CODA, child of Deaf adults, so Will tends to prefer me on the rare occasion he needs an interpreter. I am the oh-so-lucky preferred one because I’m the most fluent,” Kayla explains, glancing over at Will who has a guilty look on his face. Kayla’s expression softens, “I don’t actually mind doing it. Will only asks on the extremely rare occasion when he doesn’t have any other options, which only happens a few times a year. Not even in the same realm of how much my dad and stepdad used to ask me.”

The group chats about their plans for the day, when Nico mentions the plans to go to the archery range, Percy wrinkles his face as Will and Kayla both beg him to not go anywhere near the bows. Ultimately, Percy and Jason decide to help Annabeth organize and log the camp library and then meet Nico and Will later at arts and crafts. But knowing Annabeth, they’ll be stuck in the library until lunch. As they finish eating, the five clean up and part ways for the rest of the morning. 

Will checks his CIs, now fully charged, and puts them on, “Much better, I missed your voice. You were so badass this morning! Even though I’d say that asking for breakfast ingredients doesn’t constitute an underworld powers emergency.”

“I’ll start trying to learn to sign, I’m good at picking up languages. And I’ve summoned that bear before so it took basically no energy to bring it back and have it just stand there. It’d be different if it was a new thing, or person, and they were actually doing something. Plus, they say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” Nico explains, trying not to blush too much at Will’s comment about his voice, “Anyways, archery range?”

Will and Nico arrive at a mostly empty archery range, much to both of the boys’ relief. The supplies at the range were still limited after the battle, so even if people were eagerly trying to get back to the range they couldn’t support more than a handful of campers on the range at a time. 

“I know I’m a son of Apollo, but I definitely don’t have the Apollo archery gift. Just a heads up,” Will warns Nico as he grabs two bows and quivers of arrows. 

“I’m sure you’re better than me. I’m not dangerous the way Percy is, but I’m definitely a sword kind of guy,” Nico replies, shuddering at the memory of Achilles trying to teach him a couple years back. 

Nico rolls himself to a target, propping the quiver against his chair. A dull ache trickles from his fingers up to his shoulders as he draws the bow. Still manageable though Nico thinks to himself. His first few arrows either sail below the target or barely hit the bottom of it— which makes sense to him because he’s adjusting to shooting from lower than he was  used to. By the time he empties his quiver, most of his arrows are on the target and more or less around the bullseye. 

“Definitely a sword kind of guy my ass, you’re a good shot!” Will beams after he finishes his quiver of arrows and glances over at Nico’s target. Nico shrugs, “No seriously, it’s hard to adjust to shooting from a different angle. You did a good job!”

The son of Hades looks over to Will’s target— all the arrows are in the innermost ring or the bullseye, “Doesn’t have the Apollo archery gift, he says as he gets a bunch of bullseyes.”

“Eh, not compared to my siblings— they don’t miss the bullseye,” Will waves off the compliment while gathering the arrows for another round of shooting. 

The two boys shoot a few more rounds, yielding similar results. If it was up to Nico, he would keep going until Will was tired of archery. Unfortunately, his body has different plans and a loud pop in his shoulder accompanied with a sharp pain forces him to drop his bow. More annoyed than in pain, Nico sighs and pushes his shoulder back into place and bends down to pick up his bow again when he is met face to face with a very concerned son of Apollo. 

“If your shoulder literally dislocating isn’t a sign to stop, then I don’t know what is,” Will forces a chuckle, gently grabbing Nico’s hands to stop him from picking up the bow again. Nico frowns, about to protest when Will reads his mind again, “I’m getting tired of archery, anyways. A guy can only shoot an arrow so many times until it gets boring. I don’t have the skill of an Apollo kid with an archery hyperfixation like Kayla does— that girl will go all day if nobody stops her.”

The two boys make their way to arts and crafts, stopping by the Hephaestus cabin on the way. Nico decides to wait outside while Will goes to ask about adding electricity to the Hades cabin, mostly because Nico was worried they’d say no if he joined Will. I don’t get why Will isn’t bothered by the death aura everyone else hates. Nico peers inside of the cabin and sees that it’s surprisingly wheelchair accessible, the ramp looking original to the cabin and all the furniture spread out enough for easy clearance. 

“They said yes! Not that I was worried. Hephaestus cabin’s always down to make cabins more accessible and make or fix mobility aids. You should come with me next time, Nyssa said you were cool when I asked her to help earlier,” Will tells Nico, continuing their walk to arts and crafts. 

When they arrive, it’s significantly more crowded than the archery range was. Nico purses his lips and fidgets with his wheels, forcing himself to not cover his ears as the room echoes with the cacophony of voices and screeching of carving tools. Will also winces at the noise and fiddles with his cochlear implants before he hands Nico a pair of ear defenders.

“I forgot how crowded it gets here after battles. Mr. D says that art is good for healing or something. You okay to be here still?” Will asks, noticing how stressed Nico looks.

“I should be fine. Thanks for the headphones. Are you okay?” Nico responds, remembering when Bianca told him it’s good to ask questions back to people he cares about. 

“I’m good, yeah. Even with the Hephaestus cabin engineering, CIs aren’t perfect. So sometimes it’s easy for me to get overstimulated if it’s too loud and I don’t get the chance to turn down the sensitivity beforehand. You might need to repeat yourself more or talk a bit louder while we’re in here,” Will explains, “But seriously, let me know when you want to leave. I won’t be mad or anything.”

Nico grabs a pack of oil pastels and a sketchpad, while Will opts for a friendship bracelet making kit. The two get settled at a mostly empty table in a slightly quieter part of the room, Will hands Nico a black medical mask, explaining that the dust from ceramics and carving isn’t good for his lungs. 

“Pick 3,” Will commands Nico, showing him an array of embroidery floss skeins.

Nico picks out black, silver, and then black again. Will picks out an orange and gold, then ties together all the strands. 

Grinning, Will jokes, “I don’t know what I expected from you, but it’s very on brand.”

Nico playfully pushes Will before going back to work on his project, deciding to draw Cerberus at his guardpost. Slowly, Nico builds up layers of oil pastel, creating a scene that’s halfway between realism and impressionism. The drawing shows a sea of ghoulish spirits in disorderly lines, the rough cliffsides surrounding the area slightly obscured by the reddish fog of the underworld, the fields and his father’s palace, and of course Cerberus holding large sticks in his mouths. 

The two boys work on their projects in relative quiet, occasionally breaking into a short conversation before returning their focus. A couple hours pass when the horn for lunch blares through the camp. 

“Perfect timing, I just finished. Hold out your hand, I have a present for you!” Will breaks his hyperfocus, looking at the son of Hades who complies warily. Will pushes his sleeve up just enough to tie a friendship bracelet with chevron stripes in the colored floss they had picked up earlier around his wrist. 

Will smiles as he finishes the knot, “For you, with both of our colors.” 

Nico flashes a small smile and rubs his fingers over the bumpy stripes. He looks down at his drawing, internally debating on if he should give it to Will. I want to, but what if it’s secretly hideous? Or just weird? He decides to bite the bullet and flips the drawing to face Will. 

“Not the same thing really, but you can have it if you want.”

Will’s eyes go wide with his mouth agape, “This is so beautiful! How long have you been drawing? I can’t believe I didn’t know you liked art. I’m treasuring this for the rest of my life oh my gods.”

Nico waves off Will’s praise, “It’s not much. I’m hungry. Let’s get going to lunch, Sunshine.”

Chapter Text

Nico and Will approach the Mess Hall to see the chaos of Everything But the Kitchen Sink in full swing. 

“Go ahead and sit at our table. I’ve got a little surprise, be right back,” Will instructs Nico.

Nico gets settled at the table with Jason and Percy, who are both enjoying heaping deli sandwiches— clearly they had gone out to get food instead of trying to fight for ingredients. 

“There’s a deli down the road that’s owned by an older demigod couple. He gives out camper discounts, and sometimes takes pity on us on Kitchen Sink day in exchange for a bit of work or something,” Percy explains, trying to justify them not wanting to get involved with the lunchtime negotiations, “Sorry we missed you at the art center, got busy with sorting and getting food.”

Percy and Jason both look absolutely exhausted, even though it has only been a few hours since Nico had last seen them. Annabeth takes a seat next to Percy, rubbing his back and she nibbles on her own deli sandwich. Shortly after, Piper sits next to Jason and silently places her hand on Jason’s leg. Nico glances over to Chiron and Mr. D, who have clearly noticed the rapidly populating table but seem unbothered. It’s clear that their morning activities aren't what tired them out— it’s the impending doom of the afternoon meeting. The same dread that has been gradually building within Nico.

Will finally returns and immediately takes note of the somber mood. He quietly places a bowl and silverware in front of Nico and whispers, “Smoothie bowls, had them hidden away in the infirmary. They're kind of like the granola bowls you liked from earlier.”

Despite the fact the table is the most crowded it has been since before the oath, the table is as good as empty with how quiet it is. Not even Percy has the emotional energy to try to lighten the mood with jokes, just absentmindedly eating his sandwich while staring into the distance. To Nico’s shock, Clarisse sits down across from him and Will, holding a tray of miscellaneous leftovers. 

“Don’t want to deal with my fuck ass siblings right now,” she shortly explains, joining the group in silently eating. 

Nico looks back over to the head table to see Chiron staring intensely at the table. But he doesn’t look angry, but rather just sad. His face looks almost like an apology that will never be said. The Mess Hall gradually clears until only the War Council attendees remain. 

“Meeting starts in 20 minutes. Don’t be late,” Mr. D announces, briskly heading back towards the Big House. 

“I don’t know how I’m going to do this one,” Percy breaks his silence, just above a whisper. 

The rest of the table nods in agreement. A small part of Nico, the part of his younger self that still remains, is stunned to see the person he thought was his hero be so defeated. Then again, aren’t they all? Defeated, that is. 

“Together. We’ll do it together,” Jason says, feigning confidence after taking a deep, shaky breath in. 

Time passes far too fast. Maybe Kronos isn’t actually gone and he manipulated time again. Will glances at his watch and gets up, cueing the rest of the table to follow. As much as none of them want to be in that meeting, they are not trying to test the very limited patience of Mr. D. 

The demigods file into the rec room turned war council room, but it looks different from how Nico has ever seen it before. The lights have been covered with translucent blue plastic and the ping pong table has been folded away in favor of an array of different chairs, beanbags, pillows, and blankets sprawled around the room. In the middle of the circle sits a box of clipboards with legal pads and pens, a small mound of fidget toys and stuffed animals, a box of tissues, a case of water bottles, and assorted snacks. 

Nico parks his chair in the front of the room and uses his crutches to get settled in a beanbag chair. Will sits next to him, bringing clipboards, water bottles, and fidget toys for the two of them. Percy and Jason sit close by with their respective partners as well, knowing that the five of them will probably be doing most of the talking. 

“They usually try to make this as bearable as they can. If this wasn’t so awful, I’d love it if they made a room that’s always like this. Good for healing, they say,” Will leans over to Nico, commenting quietly. 

Chiron and Mr. D join the circle, they’re holding laptops that Hephaestus had personally built for the camp— ones that don’t attract monsters and are only used in emergencies. Will last saw them shortly before the Battle of Half-Blood Hill when he and many other campers video-called their families. Just in case. 

Mr. D clears his throat, “Expectations first. This meeting will end when it ends. We expect the need for breaks, so this will be long. Everyone here will be sworn to not share any personal details that may be revealed while in this meeting unless consent is given or it is relevant to an immediate safety concern. There will be two versions recorded: an unredacted version including personal details that will more closely resemble a transcript and an abridged version with only the key points that will be useful for future knowledge. Raise your hand to show you understand.”

Everyone in the room, including Mr. D and Chiron, raises their hands.

“Good, now everyone needs to repeat after me: I swear on the River Styx that I will abide by the aforementioned expectations outlined by Lord Dionysus to the best of my ability,” Chiron says. 

Immediately after, he’s followed by a chorus of oaths from all other members of the room and a loud clap of thunder. 

Chiron continues, “We will start from where we were last together: when the Argo II left camp. Hazel and Frank are on standby if we need their testimony, but we spoke before they departed.”

“Getting to Camp Jupiter was smooth. Although tense, we were able to disembark without too many issues and started building connections. Annabeth went off to speak with Reyna. And Leo started showing Octavian, who I’m sure you all know, the Argo II to build trust,” Jason speaks first, knowing that the room was familiar with the ranks held by the leaders of the Legion.

“Reyna didn’t trust me because she could sense me charmspeaking,” Piper mentions.

“I felt this chill when we landed. Later, it was revealed that the feeling was eidolons that ended up possessing Leo, Jason, and Percy. My chat with Reyna was going well, and I feel like we were building trust over some hot chocolate. Then Leo, who was possessed, fired the cannons on the main square multiple times. Fights broke out in the square, Jason got hit in the head with a brick, Leo had to be knocked out by Percy, and the Seven of us fled with Hedge,” Annabeth continues the story, frowning with a realization, “I didn’t see Nico there.”

Fuck. This soon? Nico was under the impression he would have at least a bit longer before the focus was on him. He shrinks into his body as eyes burn into him, Will gently squeezes Nico’s hand. Will leans over and whispers some comforting words to him.

“I… uhh… I don’t think I was in New Rome at the time? I had known about New Rome for about a year at that point, sworn to secrecy by my father, and appointed Ambassador of Pluto. I had just left to go searching for the Doors of Death a few days prior to the Argo arriving. I told Hazel before I left, but nobody else really knew,” Nico nervously explains, hoping he’ll be able to zone out for at least a good fifteen minutes now. 

Mr. D raises an eyebrow, but is stopped before he can ask a question by Percy beginning to talk. The four demigods of the prophecy present take turns going back and forth, speaking about their wild dash across the country as they were chased by the Legion. All the others in the room look shocked when they hear about the encounter with Bacchus, and even more shocked when they hear about Percy’s account of the Georgia Aquarium. Connor and Travis grin at the idea of Frank being able to turn into any animal, but are quickly shut down with a stern stare from Annabeth. To Nico’s shock, Will starts speaking.

“At this point, Camp was aware of the threat of Roman invasion and were preparing for battle,” the word again going unspoken but lingering in the room, “I began upping training for combat medic skills across camp, as well as archery. We dug out our reserves of specialty arrows. Hephaestus and Hecate aided us in forging more. We began the process of moving the most valuable and valued belongings to the Big House, where wards and other more passive protections are focused on during battles.”

Nico has never been around camp before battles, usually joining at the epicenter of the fights. One of the joys of being a child of the Big Three. A part of him finds it interesting to hear about what was happening at camp— more like I’m interested in what it was like for Will during the battles. He gets lost in his thoughts trying to envision what war might have looked like for everybody else here, namely Will, until he’s pulled back into the room when he hears his name.

“...dream about Nico. He had been captured by twin giants and trapped in a bronze jar. He looked nearly dead and had these pomegranate seeds and scratched tally marks on the wall. Hazel explained to me he went into a death trance, like a hail Mary for children of Hades, using the pomegranate seeds. One seed was one day of life, it looked like he only had a few more days of life left and had already eaten 3 seeds,” Percy explains solemnly, glancing over at Nico every few words. 

In that moment, Nico felt the life drain out of him. He logically knew that this had to come up, it was a huge part of the quest, but a small part of him wanted to convince himself it would be skipped. It really wasn’t a big deal, it was only me, and I wasn’t worth all the trouble. They had a whole debate about that. Suddenly, the room feels much smaller. 

Nico curls in on himself, bringing his knees up to his chest and hiding his face behind them. He starts rhythmically hitting his leg, light enough to not cause too much concern but firmly enough to keep himself present as he takes deliberate deep breaths. You cannot lose your shit here. We’re not even at the worst part yet.  

He feels a warm hand cover his as they interlace fingers, squeezing it gently. Soon enough he’s brought back to the room, no longer feeling as cramped, and uncurls his body to see one Will Solace staring at him with concern. Nico takes a deep breath, flashes a small thumbs up, and squeezes Will’s hand in return. Finally, he notices the room staring at him with expressions similar to Will’s. 

“I’m fine,” Nico states, convincing nobody and earning an incredulous look from Mr. D.

Then it hits Nico— this is where he has to talk about Tartarus. Chiron clears his throat, cueing him to explain, “The Doors of Death were still open after Thanatos was freed, and Gaea’s forces controlled them. So I went looking for them. There were two sides of the doors, one in the ancient lands and the other in the deepest part of the underworld. I went down.”

Percy and Annabeth look as withdrawn as Nico did five minutes ago. Even though Jason already knew, his expression was still laced with concern as he stared worriedly at Nico. The whole room is shocked into silence— even Mr. D, who has looked up from his laptop to analyze Nico. He had thought that it was fairly common knowledge that he had been to Tartarus, word about quests tend to spread quickly around camp.  

Then again, why would anybody really care what happened to me? This was a solo trip, anyways. All that matters is that I was able to tell the Argo crew where the doors were.

“You went to the Pit alone and survived?” Mr. D breaks the silence in a tone that most of the campers had never heard from him: A tone of genuine concern and care. 

“Yes. To both of those. I entered through the underworld entrance and fell until I could see the ground to shadow travel to. Since my father is Hades, I was able to navigate it half decently, like finding the Phlegethon to drink from. The air is a poisonous gas that smells like sulfur. It wreaks havoc on your lungs and skin,” Nico explains, afraid that if he stops he might break down. 

Still, he’s forced to slow down when he swears he can feel the Pit’s air all over again, “It burns you from the outside and inside. I had a slightly higher tolerance to it, but not enough to not need the healing properties of the Phlegethon. It doesn’t taste good, by the way. Tartarus wasn’t happy I was there, or that I was making it as far as I was. He sent everything he could after me.” 

“He? Isn’t Tartarus just a place?” Drew interrupts.

“No,” Nico, Annabeth, and Percy all groan in unison.

“I wish it was only a place. He’s a primordial god. The pit is the inside of his body, at least one manifestation of it. The mist makes it look like just a place to most people. Because of my heritage, I didn’t get that lucky. It was… it was like when Gaea rose and the Earth started sinking, but worse. Moving everywhere was so slow, but time was weird there,” Nico shudders as he remembers the feeling of time slipping through him.

Met Akhyls and Nyx on the way, went through the Mansion of Night, and had an overall awful time getting chased by the worst he had to offer for most of it. I made it to his heart, where the rivers converge and the Doors were at, when I was overwhelmed by Gaea’s forces and captured by the giants Otus and Ephialtes. That’s when they trapped me in the bronze jar and you know what happened from there,” Nico finishes his account. 

Only then, does he realize how much he’s shaking. The room is near silent, the only sounds being the heavy breathing of the three demigods who had survived Tartarus. Nico tries to read the expressions of the people in the room. Is it pity? Is it terror? The uncertainty only increases his anxiety. Will squeezes his hand again and glances over at Chiron and Mr. D.

“I think now is a good time for a break,” Jason blurts out. 

“Yes. All of you shoo, be back in 30 minutes,” Dionysus dismisses the room, “Except you, di Angelo.” 

The room quickly clears until only Dionysus, Nico, and Will remain. The god doesn’t look any more upset than usual, so he figures he’s okay with Will disobeying his earlier orders. Even more surprising to the son of Hades, Mr. D walks over to where Nico is sitting and pulls up a chair.

“You are aware that one of my domains is madness, yes?” Dionysus asks, Nico nodding in response. “I do not make it a habit to involve myself with demigods in this domain, but your circumstances are particularly concerning. Will brought it up to me the other day, but it doesn’t take being the god of madness to see that you carry a lot of pain. I believe that the son of Apollo here would agree with me that it would be best if you started therapy with me or an outside therapist.”

“What?” Nico asks, genuinely unsure about what Mr. D was suggesting.

“Therapy. You talk to a professional about yourself, things that may be bothering you, stuff like that, and they help you work through it. It’s a type of medicine. Hopefully, it would help with your panic attacks and flashbacks,” Will explains, realizing Nico might not know, “It’s not like what you were told it was growing up. There’s been like… a lot of research to try to make it better. Here, we try to make it so you lead the direction in how it goes and make sure you have good supports around you.” 

“I guess I’ll try it. With Mr. D,” Nico responds after thinking for a few moments.

“We will start after the weekend. Now go and take your break. You should still have some time left,” Dionysus tells the boys, standing up and returning to his original spot next to Chiron. 

Relieved to get out of the room, Nico makes it as fast as he can with his crutches to the front porch and sits down on a bench swing. As mortifying as it is that he apparently radiates mental illness so much that Dionysus didn’t even need to focus to notice, it’s relieving to Nico that he doesn’t have to have that conversation later. In all honesty, he was mostly shocked that Mr. D had the ability to be so caring and tactful. 

Will trails behind and sits down next to him and smiles, placing one of his hands on Nico’s leg, “You did good in there, I’m proud of you. Here, I stole some of the good snacks from the infirmary.”

Chapter Text

Nico and Will sit quietly on the porch, watching the others from the meeting spend their break time. Some are wrangling their cabin members, while others are sitting in the sun chatting. It feels relieving to be outside, even though he already feels exhausted and knows the meeting still has so much to cover. 

As the break draws closer to its end, Percy approaches the two boys sitting on the porch looking even more exhausted than he did earlier. He plops down on the floor next to Nico, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes as he rests his head on his knees. Nico watches as the son of Poseidon takes deliberate breaths when he breaks into a coughing fit that’s all too familiar to Nico. After a couple of minutes and the help of an inhaler, Percy looks over to Nico and Will for the first time since arriving on the porch.

“Sorry. The meeting hit me harder than I thought it would. I went to the lake to try to decompress, but started freaking out. So I came back when I could just to be safe,” Percy explains, “I uh… I prefer to be away from Annabeth when it comes to… that topic.”

“No, I'm sorry. It’s okay. This really fucking sucks, I get it,” Nico responds, “I think I covered most of the gruesome details of being down there, you shouldn’t have to explain as much as I did.”

While Nico had told Percy that he isn’t his type romantically, in the process telling him one of his biggest secrets, it doesn’t negate the fact that Percy is the person Nico has known the longest in this century. Even at his peak of hating Percy, he wouldn’t have wished reliving Tartarus on him. Will glances at his watch and gets up from his chair with a remorseful look, offering Percy a hand to get up. As if to say he’s sorry he couldn’t stop time to delay having to go back to the meeting . Nonetheless, the three make their way back to the War Council room and reassume their previous spots in the circle with the rest of the demigods. 

After everybody gets settled, an awkwardness looms over the room. How do you follow up after hearing about something so horrific? Mr. D looks over to his son Pollux, as if to cue him to start talking. They must have also talked during the break.

“At Camp, we continued war preparations. Once the Argo left the States, it became obvious that the Romans were going to attack. I worked with the Demeter cabin to create nature defenses, and then with Lou Ellen to develop ranged attacks that temporarily alter sanity. Then I… I uh… I also started getting the rest of the cabins to make shrouds for all their campers…” Pollux trails off at the end, taking a deep breath. 

Nico nearly misses it, but catches the tail end of the quick comforting smile that Mr. D directs towards his son. 

“We also started to develop some ranged attacks, but with the Ares and Hephaestus cabins primarily. Also traps and bombs, mainly aimed to disarm or shock. We also increased training in our cabin for trap and lock disarming,” Travis continues. 

With the room feeling slightly lighter, the conversation turns back to the demigods of the prophecy, who detail their various misadventures as they made their way to the Colosseum. Nico zones out for the majority of the recounting as an attempt to keep himself together. Unfortunately, he’s drawn back into the conversation with Percy talking about his rescue.

“I couldn’t tell if he was dead or alive when he fell out,” Percy says grimly, Jason and Piper nodding in pained agreement.

“To be fair, I was convinced I was dead,” Nico mutters, garnering the attention of the room. Oh fuck.  

“I mean, I should have been dead when you got there. Or shortly after at the very least.” Nico tries to clarify, it not helping his case at all.

If Nico didn’t have the attention of the room before, he definitely did now. And he hates it. He begins to nervously scratch at his arm as an attempt to stop himself from self-regulating in a more obvious way. Keep your shit together, di Angelo. 

“The fuck? You do know we want you alive, right? That we care about you?” Connor Stoll exclaims.

He has a dead serious tone as he turns to look Nico in the eye, much to the entire room’s surprise. Apparently not so subtly, because Connor quickly notices the room’s reaction and turns to anger. 

“What are you all so shocked about? Son of the god of travelers! I know nearly everybody who’s come through here! And let me tell you, it hurts every time somebody dies. No matter how long they were with us. Why is nobody else pissed that Mr. D’s shitty Roman knockoff almost let him die? Let all of us die? That we’d be burning more fucking shrouds!?” he’s trembling as emotions pulse through him.

If the room wasn’t shocked before, they surely were now. Connor, although boisterous and loud, has never been one to let his anger show. Even in the throws of battle, he usually kept it lighthearted— a trait most others attributed to his ADHD being worse than most demigods’ and his heritage. 

This somber side of Connor was typically reserved for his closest friends and loved ones, behind closed doors and in hidden away forest clearings. The part of Connor that intensely feels all his emotions. Mr. D doesn’t dare try to scold him, and the room changes to expressions of empathy. Travis pulls him into a side hug and whispers something into his brother’s ear. 

“Thank you. But you don’t need to worry too much about me, though. The gods have never been too kind to me,” responds Nico, attempting to comfort the son of Hermes. 

“More importantly, he made it back. It’s over now. It’s safe now,” Will adds, lowering his pitch and evening his tone to the voice he uses to comfort Nico. 

Connor takes a deep breath and flashes a quick forced smile before going back to fidgeting in his seat while staring at the floor. His hands are still shaking with grief. As much as he was pushing the limits of Chiron and Mr. D’s patience, it would be naive to believe the sentiment wasn’t common in the room. The bitterness about all the pain that demigods go through for the gods to barely bat an eye in their direction, that is.

“We started going towards Annabeth, who had gotten the Athena Parthenos and trapped Arachne. The statue was secured but…” Jason breaks the silence, trailing off at the end and looking to Percy.

“We fell. To Tartarus. We got through with the help of Bob, AKA the titan Iapetus whose memory I wiped a while ago and Nico was actually friendly to while he was Hades’ janitor, and the giant Damasen. Made it to the Doors of Death, faced Tartarus himself, briefly saw the horrors, had the worst 12 minute elevator ride of our lives but closed and released the doors. Ta da, we’re here now, ” Percy relays, making it clear that he and Annabeth weren’t fielding any questions. “Also, thanks for the Hermes offerings. The peanut M&Ms were a hit with Bob.”

Jason and Piper take over recounting parts of the quest, much to the relief of the three demigods who had braved the unthinkable. Considering the two had done the most socializing with the others of the prophecy, they were able to cover the main points of the various missions that they had to complete. Nico’s heart started racing at the mention of Croatia, but was quickly relieved when Jason just said that Eros is an awful bully and they got the scepter. Much to Nico’s surprise, Drew Tanaka had nothing to say at that comment. 

After that point, Nico decides to check out mentally until they turn it back to him. Hopefully they’ll go through everything else before I need to talk about shadow traveling . Anyways, it’s not like he needs to pay attention, he’s heard all of this before. Nico isn’t sure how much time has passed, but he’s brought back to the conversation when Will squeezes his hand and looks at him as if it’s his turn to talk. Will looks slightly concerned, but Nico figures it’s just because of how intensely he zoned out. Nico opens his mouth to speak, but finds that nothing leaves his mouth.

“I think it’s time for another break. We’re almost done and it’s been over 2 hours since the last break,” Will advocates for, earning enthusiastic nods from the room full of antsy demigods.

“Okay. One hour. Get some dinner from the Big House fridge. Shoo,” Dionysus states, the room clearing in an instant. 

Except for Nico, Will, Connor, and Travis. Mr. D and Chiron look at the four boys with extremely concerned expressions. Will looks at the two immortals and signs to them, waving his right hand and then tapping his chest with his outstretched fingers. They take the signal and file out as well. 

“Hey Neeks, I’m going to move us by the Stolls for now. I think we all need some support right now. Is that okay?” Will gently asks while rubbing his thumb on Nico’s hand.

Nico nods in silent response. Even though his words decided to quit on him, he feels relatively calm and grounded. He figures it’s just because he was zoning out for so long and he just needed some time to readjust to the present before his body was ready to talk again. 

Will carefully helps Nico transfer to his wheelchair and makes their way over to the Stoll brothers, who are sitting on a worn couch. Both of Connor’s legs are rapidly bouncing and his hands are tightly clasped together in front of him as they violently tremble, his posture is slumped so that all Nico can see is the top of his head and his shoulders shaking as he intensely stares at the floor. Next to him, his brother rubs his back and shoots a worried glance at Will. Suddenly, Connor sits upright and throws his head back against the couch. He rubs his eyes furiously in an attempt to hide his tears then starts to flap his hands.

“Gods, I don’t know why this is happening right now! This didn’t happen at the last one,” Connor cries out as he starts hitting his legs in a way that’s all too familiar to Nico. 

“Hey, hey, hey. You were holding in a lot for the past couple hours. That shit’s hard, be easy on yourself. You had more time to get it out the last time,” Travis tries to calm down Connor, moving his own hands to try to minimize the damage his brother causes to himself. 

Connor doesn’t seem to notice, and keeps indiscriminately hitting his thighs as he fails to stave off his tears. 

Will places his hand on Connor’s calf and attempts to use his powers to help him calm down. It’s not the most ideal location, but it’s better than nothing. Unfortunately, Connor is still too distressed for it to take much effect. 

Nico can almost feel the amount of hurt that Connor’s in. He looks around to see what he could do and notices a weighted plush at his feet, he picks it up and puts it on Connor’s lap. Stuffed animals help people, right? Then, he twists around to search through his bag and pulls out some instant cold packs and a carved jade statue with concentric spheres and ornate detailing. Nico quickly places the cold packs on Connor’s lap and hands him the statue. He remembers back to when Will mirrored his rocking earlier, and begins to rock gently as he fidgets with his ring. 

Connor gradually stops hitting himself and taps his brother’s leg, cueing Travis to start quietly singing in a deep, gravelly voice. If Nico and Will weren’t so busy trying to help Connor, they’d be shocked to hear Travis voluntarily singing alone.

“I’ve been on my own for all this time / No kin, no one standing by my side

My world was dark, but you bring a light / You’ll always be a friend of mine

We’ve been walking this long, long road / Mile after mile and day after day

’Til the end, when our story’s been told / Brothers in arms, we’ll stay

Brothers in arms, we’ll stay”

Connor’s legs finally start to slow down for the first time since the room emptied. His hands are still slightly shaking as he stims with the jade statue and mirrors Nico’s rocking. He closes his eyes and hums the melody of the song Travis was singing, who continues repeating it until Connor stops to draw in a few shaky, deep breaths.

“That one was really bad,” Connor rasps, “Thanks for everything. All of you. I can usually get it under control by myself.” 

“Of course. Anytime Connor, genuinely. Travis, how about we go grab some dinner for all of us? I know where the good food is,” Will suggests, earning nods from the other three who are now realizing how hungry they are. 

The two boys make their way towards the infirmary kitchen together, leaving Nico and Connor alone in the rec room. They sit in uncomfortable silence for a few moments before it starts eating at Nico too much.

“It happens to me too, sometimes,” Nico blurts out, “When feelings are too much and I just kind of freak out.”

“Meltdowns. That’s what Lee and Castor told me it was. Has to do with my ADHD… among other things. I feel emotions and empathy really intensely? So I sometimes get really overstimulated from it,” explains Connor.

“I really do appreciate you being so nice to me earlier. I didn’t think anybody really cared about me like that. It was really sweet of you. You’re a good person, Connor. It’s dumb that more people don’t see how much you care,” Nico responds, “I uh… I didn’t know that other people here, especially the counselors, sometimes felt like that too. And you know. Have that happen. Like it does with me.”

“I’ve been a year-rounder here nearly as long as Annabeth’s been and my dad is the patron of thieves— I know the good hiding places. The only people who I’ve let see are some of my siblings, the medics, and Jake. But if you pack a camp full of kids with a fuckton of ADHD, autism, and trauma, you’re bound to have at least some people lose their shit on the regular. I think I’ve seen most of the campers in this room break down at some point or another. It’s the human side of us that the gods forget about,” Connor says with growing bitterness at the end. 

Nico just quietly nods along.

He takes a deep breath and continues, “Also, it was kind of obvious you’re personally familiar with it all. Trav and Will do their best, but our shit shows up in different ways. Not their fault at all, it’s called neuro diversity for a reason. But when it’s that bad, their usual strategies don’t really work. I usually just have to ride it out until I can self-regulate enough.”

“I know you didn’t get to choose to have me here, but I’m glad that I was able to be here for you,” Nico replies fondly. As he finishes his sentence, Travis and Will walk back into the room holding dinner plates and bottles of Gatorade. 

“We come bearing gifts! We have about 15 minutes till people come back, but we commandeered some panang curry,” Travis announces “How are you both feeling?”

“Alright,” Nico answers, reaching out to grab the bowl from Will. 

“Better,” says Connor at the same time. 

The four continue eating and casually chatting. Will reveals that Nico drew him a picture that morning, while Travis talks about how Jake has been pestering the Hermes cabin about testing different prototypes for pick-proof locks (none of which have worked so far). Connor smirks, commenting that Jake shouldn’t have such stealable things if he’s so worried about his stuff. As people start filing back in, Nico and Will stay seated by the Stoll brothers, Will dragging the beanbag chair over for himself

“The last thing left is your side of things since you left the Argo with the statue, we’ve talked about everything else. After that, it’s just a matter of post-battle reports and regular logistical things we talk about. If you need to tap out at any point, give me a sign and I’ll take care of it,” Will quietly tells Nico, Connor flashing a small reassuring thumbs up. 

As anxious as Nico is, he also just wants to get this done with. You’ve already held them up so much because of your fucked up brain. What will you even say? While he’s in the middle of scripting, he realizes that everyone is settled back in and Mr. D is looking at him in a pointed manner.

“ Merda , sorry. Zoned out. When I left, I was with Reyna and Hedge. One of my powers is shadow travel, all children of Underworld gods have it but I’ve just trained it up the most. It takes a lot of energy, even more with multiple people or massive statues, so I needed to make multiple jumps and rest between them. The resting didn’t happen as much as it should’ve because the ancient lands are riddled with things trying to kill us. Plus side: I got my appetite back after having literally nothing left to give,” Nico tries to lighten the tone slightly. 

“Anyways, almost shadow traveled us into Mount Vesuvius but Reyna saved our asses, Pompeii has way too many angry ghosts, Orion was sent after us and gods is he annoying, got nicked by Lycaon’s claws in Portugal, landed on a boat for a bit, eventually made it back to the states,” Nico relays, hoping that his limited details are passable enough and choosing to leave out Puerto Rico. Nobody seems upset, so it must have sufficed. 

Nico takes a deep breath, knowing he’s getting to the worst part but also knowing there needs to be a record of the powers of children of Hades. Will squeezes Nico’s hand. 

The son of Hades continues to recount his travels in as even of a tone as he can manage, “We ended up in Buford, South Carolina. I was really running out of energy at this point. A legion member, Bryce Lawrence, who was unbanished under Octavian snuck up on us while I was talking to Reyna and attacked. He made… unthinkable threats and I just lost it. I don’t even remember it, that’s the worst part of it. Reyna and Hedge told me that I dropped the temperature of the whole area, opened the ground directly to the underworld beneath him.”

He can’t bring himself to look anybody in the eye, so he fixates his gaze on the floor.

“I… I destroyed him entirely. Banished his soul directly to Judgement as an anonymous soul. It was evil of me. I passed out for three days and almost faded into the shadows, but Hedge healed me. I couldn’t get us back to camp, but Hedge had called on the original Pegasus to help us. We arrived a bit before dawn the day of the final battle. We were ambushed, but Tyson saved us and we got a couple of centurions to turn to our side,” Nico recollects solemnly.

You’re almost done, just fucking finish this. 

With a final deep breath, Nico keeps talking, “I shadow traveled to the hill to sabotage the onagers when I ran into Will. We all heard his ear-piercing whistle, then I helped fight the monsters after She woke up. Will found me and took me to Octavian who was readying an onager to fire. He had his robes caught up in it, I didn’t let Will stop him, and he killed himself and Leo when he launched himself at Gaea. You all know what happened from there.” 

Nico’s arms are buzzing by the time he’s done. He draws in a shaky breath, not realizing how much his anxiety had built up. His leg begins to involuntarily bounce. Oh gods, I said too much. They’re all going to hate you and you’re going to die alone because nobody’s ever going to want to talk to you again and—

Before Nico can spiral too far, he is interrupted by Connor placing some fresh cold packs in his hands. How did I not notice him stealing that from my bag? He feels Will rubbing circles on his back as his breathing evens out and he stops shaking. 

“We all make our decisions during war. Some are more regrettable than others. It doesn’t instantly make us evil monsters. As far as I’m concerned, Octavian was doomed to begin with and you acted in self-defense otherwise. I’m sure anyone with any sense agrees. You saved lives, my dumbass decisions have killed countless demigods,” Clarisse breaks the silence, the rest of the room earnestly nodding in agreement despite wincing at the self-deprecating last bit. 

Nico starts to respond, but his breath hitches and he ends up coughing for a minute. Nothing out of the ordinary for him or people that knew about his medical situation, but enough to for some faces of concern from other campers. He clears his throat, choosing not to acknowledge the fit and hoarsely thanks Clarisse. 

“The infirmary is back to pretty normal operations and all battle patients have been discharged. We need to do inventory for a supply run and catch up on filing still. On my end, we're ready to go back to normal camp activities,” Will reports out, nonchalantly moving the attention away from Nico. 

“Ah yes, that's the impression I have gotten from most of the cabins. We only have a few weeks before schools start, so we'll resume scheduled activities when the academic year begins. For now, keep reporting back about any campers needing additional support and try to get your cabins to a decent variety of activities. What are opinions on capture the flag?” Chiron summarizes, obviously trying to end the meeting. 

“I need at least another week before I can even think about capture the flag. Maybe to end summer session? Also, I was wondering if there's a way we could make the campfires smokeless? I don't know about others, but the smoke has been pretty hard on my lungs,” Percy casually replies, the rest of the room humming in agreement. 

“Yeah, the Hermes cabin needs more time too,” Travis concurs. 

“There's been an uptick in chronic respiratory problems being documented in the past couple years. Smokeless would be good for access,” adds Will. 

“Okay, I will make sure Mr. D and I have a conversation with Lord Hephaestus about smoke-free charms on fires at Camp. If that's all, the meeting is adjourned,” Chiron states,  concluding what he hopes is the final war council for at least a few more years. 

“Alright, scatter. I hear that that one Hephaestus girl, Nylla, rigged up a movie night in the amphitheater that starts later,” Mr. D dismisses the demigods, who happily listen and file out of the room. 

The room empties until only Nico, Will, and Stoll brothers remain. Nico lets out a sigh of relief, leaning back in his chair. He's tired, but also is feeling strangely motivated to go to the movie night. 

“So have you ever experienced the joys of Despicable Me, Nico?” Travis asks, grinning.

Chapter Text

Nothing in the Overworld, Underworld, or Atlantis could have prepared Nico for “the joys of Despicable Me,” as Travis told him. In fact, he isn’t even sure he would describe it as joys. Nico was well aware that films have a lot since he last had the chance to actually enjoy them. 

First of all, when did animation get like that? Second of all, whose brilliant idea was it to watch a movie about found family in a camp full of kids with daddy issues? 

All that to say, Nico would rather shadow travel another forty foot statue across the globe again than admit that he did actually find the film enjoyable. Much to his own chagrin.

“We’ve gotta sneak you out to a 21st century movie theater, di Angelo. The popcorn, the candy, the whole nine yards. Camp movies are great, but nothing compares to the theaters,” Connor beams as he walks alongside his brother, Nico, and Will towards the cabins, “Do you think we can guilt trip Chiron into building a movie theater here? Call it a good alternative activity for decompressing for mental health or something?” 

Travis playfully shoves his brother, “Chiron and Mr.D have been killing your movie theater idea for years now. I don’t think some bullshit about mental health will work on the god of madness and the immortal hero trainer.”

“To be fair, it would be nice to have more connections to the outside world seeing as the whole point of Camp is so that we’re well-adjusted to survive in the mortal world. A theater would be good for a sense of normalcy. Plus, it is actually good to have activities in your life that aren’t about being productive is good for healing,” Will chimes in, putting on his best doctorly voice.

“See! If the Head Healer agrees, then it has to be a good idea!” Connor exclaims, earning an exacerbated sigh from Travis. 

“Keep dreaming, bro. Keep dreaming. I’ll take care of the night time cabin tasks. It’s the least I can do after the rough day you’ve had. Take the night off, I’ll see you later,” Travis laughs, patting Connor on the back before walking towards Cabin Eleven. 

The three boys stop in the center of the ring of cabins, debating what to do next with their suddenly free evening. Will explains that the Apollo cabin is generally good at independently managing nighttime routines, so he never has to worry about that as Head Counselor. With the disbanding of scheduled activities, Will can very easily get away with being away from his cabin for the evening. For the first time in years, over 3 years, the boys can have carefree time to themselves. 

“We could go back to my cabin. It’s quiet and I have some things to do there,” Nico offers, knowing that they probably would have ended up at his cabin anyways. 

As they approach the cabin, Nico warns Connor, “I didn’t choose the decor. And it’s kind of dark and cold in there. Sorry.”

They enter Nico’s cabin and are pleasantly surprised with a few changes that the Hephaestus cabin had made while he was away. For one, they added electricity in the cabin and found a variety of lamps to brighten up the room. On his nightstand, there sits an unfamiliar remote, a glass orb, and a note. It looks almost like a completely different cabin— in a good way. Will goes to grab the note, and reads it aloud.

“ Hey Nico! Nyssa and Kayla here. We did some renovations based on what you asked for and from Will’s notes. Here’s the main points of what we did, let us know if you want anything changed or added:

1. Electricity: You’ll find outlets throughout your cabin and in the bathroom. There’s also wiring for an overhead light, but we didn’t add the lamp yet so you can choose what you want.
2. Remote controlled blinds, fans, heaters, and lights: For when you can’t leave your bed.
3. Grab bars: There’s some bars in the bathrooms, your walls, and by your bed to make moving around easier
4. Mobility aid storage: There’s some fixtures next to your bed and at the front door that are meant to store your crutches, cane, and braces.
5. The sphere on your nightstand: It’s a multi-use tool we give to every counselor, it’s an alarm clock, a pager to the on-call medic, a projector, a speaker, and a night light all in one. You talk to it or tap it to navigate.
6. A mini fridge/freezer: It’s on the bottom shelf of your nightstand. We loaded it with reusable ice packs, Gatorade, and some snacks for when you can’t make it out of bed but need something.
7. Automated doors: All the doors now have push buttons that open your doors and keep them open until you’re fully inside. Also, your doors can lock now (Why couldn’t they before??)
8. Bathroom accessibility: We changed it so you have both a bathtub and roll-in shower with a shower chair and a moveable shower head. We also changed the sinks to be accessible with your wheelchair.
9. Air purifiers: Will had this whole thing about adding air purifiers and we don’t question him. It’s good for keeping germs and pollution away, though.

That’s about everything we can think of! We might have missed some things, so just let us or Will know if you have any questions about things. 

— Kayla & Nyssa (the best home renovators ever)”

“Damn, Hephaestus kids and medics don’t play,” Connor comments, in shock with how thorough they were able to be over the course of only one day. 

“I’ll have to find a way to properly thank them both, this is… wow,” Nico responds “Anyways, I have a couple regular decks of cards, Olympus Fluxx, and Mythomagic that we could all play. I also have chess and checkers, but that’s two players only.” 

 “Do you both know how to play poker?” asks Connor.

“I didn't spend 70 years in a casino to not know how to play poker. Let me get us some bones we can use for chips,” Nico responds while smirking, Will looking like he's about to protest, “Relax, whoever decorated my cabin last year added all these jars of animal bones that I hid away to not freak people out. No summoning involved.”

“I have a feeling this is just going to be me losing by ridiculous margins,” Will groans. 

“Yep!” The two other boys exclaim in unison, grinning wildly. 

“At the very least I should get to pick the style. I'm saying we play Texas Hold ‘Em,” Will bargains.

They come to an agreement and start playing. Will didn't need his dad's powers of prophecy to have known how badly he was going to lose going up against Nico's love for card games and a son of Hermes. Connor barely even taps into his divine powers, Will shudders at the thought of what Hermes cabin poker nights look like. The son of Apollo is just lucky there's no money on the line here. 

To give Will a little more of a fighting chance, they decide to play until somebody has the entire pot and increase the blinds each round. Unfortunately for him, he still ends up the first one out. He’s happy with just being the dealer— only motivating Connor to start using his powers more, although Nico still keeps the game tied up. Connor isn't the only demigod whose godly parent is good with gambling, anyways. Nico is smiling as much as when he played Fluxx with the Seven earlier this week.

When the blinds are so high it makes up nearly all the chips the Nico and Connor have, the exhaustion of the day starts to catch up with Nico. He feels a twinge in his chest that makes him throw his cards down and double over coughing. As worrying as it seems, both Nico and Will could see this coming with all the stress on his lungs today. 

After a few minutes, Nico isn’t able to stop on his own and starts reaching for the bag hanging off his wheelchair. Will tosses Nico his rescue inhaler and places a small trash bin in front of him, then reclaims his seat as the dealer. With a couple puffs of Albuterol and a few more minutes of hacking, Nico spits out the last of what felt stuck in his chest and takes some deep breaths.

“Ugh, that was kinda gross, sorry. I think it’s your turn to bet?” Nico casually says, then turns to Will and waves him off, “And I know, I was already planning to do a nebulizer tonight.”

“Not gross, just part of your disability. It wasn’t anywhere near the worst I’ve seen for you, but I was going to make you do a treatment later anyways. And yeah, it’s Connor’s turn,” Will replies, matching Nico’s tone.

Connor, however, is not in the loop of this train of thoughts. “Who are you and what did you do with Will Solace? And are you sick or something? You were coughing in the meeting too. If you weren’t feeling good you could’ve gotten out of it and you definitely didn’t have to have me over. Wait, are you dying or something? Is that what all the mobility aids are about? Why isn’t Will freaking out like he—”

“Whoa whoa whoa, slow down. I’m okay, I promise. I’m not dying and I’m not sick with anything you can catch. I’ve just got some stuff going on with my lungs. Long-term damage from catching a bunch of nasty stuff when I was younger and from being in the Pit, my biggest symptom is the coughing. The wheelchair and stuff is because my joints hurt all the damn time and sometimes I get really dizzy. Will wasn’t worried because that was pretty tame for me. Everything I have going on is super manageable. I will make it a lot more obvious when things are wrong or I need help, I promise,” Nico reassures Connor, looking over to Will who confirms everything with a thumbs up.

“Oh, that makes a lot more sense. Sorry for prying, and also not noticing either,” Connor sighs in relief, exponentially less concerned. 

“Eh, it only recently got worse this past year during the quest. And it's not like I ever stuck around long enough for people to see anything. Both of you beat yourself up too much for not noticing things, as if I didn’t leave every two seconds and avoid everyone,” explains Nico, “Enough of that, I want to win this game.” 

It doesn’t take long for the game to come to an end with Nico winning by high card. Objectively, the most anticlimactic way to end a game, but at least Tyche was on my side . 

Logically, Nico knows he should hate card games, especially poker. But honestly the actual time he spent in the Lotus Casino wasn’t horrible. It was just the aftermath that sucked. He’s loved card games for as long as he can remember, it would take a lot more than being frozen in time for 70 years to wreck that. Nico still holds a fondness for Mythomagic after all these years, anyways. 

“You have to come to the Hermes poker nights! Gods, I don’t think I’ve had that good of a game with somebody outside of my cabin since before all the wars started. And I’ve played with Nike and Tyche kids. Holy Hermes! How do you keep getting cooler?” Connor exclaims, flapping his hands in excitement. 

“Sounds like chaos. I’m in.” Nico grins, “I’m starting to get tired, you can stay while I do my nighttime stuff since it takes me like an hour before I’m actually able to go to bed.”

“I’ll stay, I’m taking full advantage of Trav’s pity. Do you need anything?” Connor replies.

“Yeah, uh… can you roll that cart to me? There should be a set of pajamas that I left on it too,” Nico sheepishly requests, which Connor happily does and sits mindlessly chatting, “Uh… could you maybe turn around so I can change?”

“Oh shit! Of course It was always so crowded in my cabin that changing in the open was pretty normal. Waiting for the bathroom took too long,” Connor’s eyes widening in realization and turning around immediately. 

Nico quickly changes into the sweatshirt. As much as he liked spending time with Connor and Will today, he still doesn’t love the idea of his scars being on full display. That’s a conversation for a different day. If ever. Nico looks over to see Will brewing his cup of tea and getting ready for bed. 

I wouldn’t mind him staying again. 

“You can turn around now. What were you planning to do tomorrow?” Nico asks Connor.

“Probably organize something or start planning the classes Chiron makes me teach during the year, you?” Connor replies, obviously also avoiding combat training. 

“He makes you teach classes? What do you teach?” Nico responds, realizing he never actually has been here long enough to take any of the classes. 

“Yeah, he makes all the head counselors teach classes in their specialties. I have three: Locks and Traps, Sleight of Hand and Mist Manipulation, and Sword Fighting,” Connor answers.

“I didn’t know you could manipulate the Mist! That’s so cool!” Nico beams.

“I can’t, at least not very well. But Lou Ellen is really good at it, and the topics both go under the generally fit the skill of close-range deceit,”  Connor responds, poorly hiding his upset expression. “Chiron hasn’t told you about the classes yet?”

“Still, I can’t manipulate it at all. My sister’s really good at it, though. And Chiron probably doesn’t think I’ll stay around long enough for my child labor to be worth it. I could swear I told him I was planning to stay this time,” Nico reassures Connor, “But it’s not like my powers are really useful to literally anybody except me and Hazel. I’m decent at sword fighting, but I don’t know if he’ll want me teaching the weird techniques I was taught.”

“Things have changed, though. We have children of Hypnos and Hecate now. Plus, Hermes moonlights in the underworld, so I’m sure that some of the stuff you know about the Underworld and your powers would be useful for somebody here. Plus like… your powers are objectively really cool,” says Connor.

Will emerges from the bathroom holding Nico’s tea, having heard the last part of the conversation, “I teach First Aid & Medicine, Biology, and Non-Matter Manipulation. You should teach the last one with me! I have that one because I have the strongest light manipulation powers of my cabin. It’s normal that counselors get two or three classes. Then campers like Kayla, who lives and breathes archery, teach their specialty too. But that’s just one class.”

“We should totally co-teach Sword Fighting! It’d be good for the campers to get a variety in techniques, anyways. Everybody here basically only learns Luke’s fighting style because he was the best swordsman for so long,” Connor encourages Nico.

“Yeah, maybe I’ll talk to Chiron about it tomorrow. I didn’t know that Luke’s style was so standard here. I guess I don’t know much about him in general,” Nico comments, realizing he didn’t ever talk to him when he would do errands in Elysium.

“He was really nice and caring before everything happened. I was unclaimed for a few months and he always took on a lot of the orientation type of stuff, even before being head counselor. Made me feel welcome and comforted even though I was just a sad, annoying kid,” Will recalls fondly. 

Connor takes a deep breath and starts to speak, “I hate how nice he was. How charming he was. Travis and I were also pretty young when we got here too, but were claimed quickly. He always made sure we had a place, that things were made so we could do it. He helped me through so many fucking meltdowns. He could always calm me down, was always looking into better ways to help me, and always tried to advocate for things to be more accessible for me. I think it’d be easier if he was an awful person, because then I could at least hate him.” 

Nico has heard stories of Luke Castellan's loyalty to his family— be it Annabeth and Thalia, his mother, or now Connor. He watched his Judgment in the Underworld, as he had for every demigod that died in Titanomachy to assure they made it to Elysium. He knew that Luke’s pain, at its root, was the pain his family had suffered at the hand of the gods.

Connor continues to recollect, “But I get why he did what he did. Nico, you never really saw what camp was like back then. Our cabin was always packed to the brim during summers. Barely even floor space. I didn’t even get a real bed until I became a counselor! Luke was expected to take care of all of us with no help from any actual adults. Every time he asked for more anything, it got shot down with a shitty excuse about how it would make the Olympians angry. Then he got completely fucked on his quest and he just broke after that. He cared too much about us, and that’s what got him. And it’s what saved him in the end.”

“He’s in Elysium now. I escorted him there when I was escorting everyone else. He didn’t talk at all, though,” Nico tells them, “The thing about Judgement is that it sees the complexities. I’ve sat on the panels before. Luke was a complex person, and that’s what makes it so hard to be up here after everything’s done. Because when you die, you learn a lot about yourself. They show you it flat out, make sense of old memories, and restore anything missing. But the living are left to figure it out by themselves.”

The two others hum in agreement, slightly surprised about how comforting it was to have learned more about the Underworld. Nico moves to his bed and starts his breathing treatment, taking off his braces while the machine runs. He listens to Will and Connor reminisce about old camp memories from before the wars. It’s times like these where he wishes he had more memories from when he was little. 

Oh, do you want to hear about how I got manipulated by King Minos for a year or when I lived on the streets! Fun childhood memories! Nico ultimately decides to silently drink his tea, determined to actually finish it tonight. 

“It’s getting close to curfew, you should probably get going Connor. Nico, you want me to stay the night again?” Will asks as Connor gets up and starts heading towards the door.

“See you around!” Connor shouts as he exits. 

“If you want to, I wouldn’t mind it. Do you have extra batteries for your CIs now? I don’t know if you know, but I have electricity here now,” Nico smirks. 

“Haha. Very funny, Death Boy. And yes I do, I don’t want Kayla yelling at me for the third day in a row, she might actually have a point then!” Will jokes. 

“Do you think you could finish the story you were telling last night? He saw the mother of all trees?” Nico asks shyly. 

“Say less. You have awoken the storytelling Deaf monster in me,” Will immediately replies, smiling wildly as he begins simcomming.

“So the lumberjack comes across the mother of all trees, it’s perfect. He begins swinging at it, again and again and again. It tips a bit, and he keeps going at it over and over until it looks about ready. So he yells, TIMBER! But nothing happens. He tries again, TIMBER! And the tree doesn’t budge. Then he gets an idea, he’ll call the tree doctor, because surely they’ll know what’s wrong. So he calls them and explains the problem, and the doctor says they’ll come right away. They arrive and go up to the tree, inspecting it, listening to it with a stethoscope, all of that. Then the doctor says, ‘Aha! I know what’s the matter. The tree is Deaf! It cannot hear you yell timber!’ Then the lumberjack says, ‘I know what to do!’ and he exaggeratedly fingerspells to the tree ‘T-I-M-B-E-R’ and the tree comes crashing down, shaking the whole forest floor. The end!” 

Nico laughs at the ending, not sure if he’s enjoying the story or spending time with Will more. It feels so good to see Will so happy and energized, especially after the hard day they had. He even felt like he picked up on a few of the signs along the way. 

“That was so good! You could be the Camp storyteller or something, I swear. I bet you secretly do have the poetry gift, what else are you hiding from me?” Nico beams.

“You flatter me. And that’s something you’ll just have to wait and see, isn’t it? The story is a lot better in ASL in my opinion, but the simcom suffices. I’ll start trying to teach you some if you’d like?” Will laughs, not-so-secretly thrilled that Nico seemed interested in his stories that most people were sick of at this point.

“Do you miss being around people like you? Like the schools you used to go to?” Nico elaborates, “Sometimes I miss being around people that speak Italian. It just feels so good to me. Does ASL feel like that to you?”

“Yeah I do miss it sometimes. Being around other demigods is great and all, but not a lot of campers get it really. Or they just forget altogether because I have the CIs. It’s nice that most of the older campers are conversational, but only a few have been fluent and know Deaf culture. It feels good to be able to share it with you, though,” Will explains, “That being said, I’m exhausted from today. Sweet dreams, Niccolò.”

“Sweet dreams, Will Solace.”

Chapter Text

The warm morning sunlight streams through the windows and a faint scent of morning dew lurks in the air. Birds are singing and nymphs are roaming around outside, the sound of leaves rustling in the wind blows through the cabin. Nico looks over to the other side of the room to see Will Solace sitting up in the bed quietly reading a book. As he takes in the environment, he realizes that he didn’t have any dreams last night. 

“Mornin’, how’re you doing?” Will asks, noticing that Nico is awake now.

“Alright, no dreams,” Nico cracks his knuckles as he stretches, “How long have you been awake?” 

“Since whenever sunrise was, I think it was a bit before 6am today,” Will responds “Apollo things, it’s a curse more than anything else.”

Nico groans at the thought of getting up that early. At least his father is the Lord of the Underworld and doesn’t make him get up for no good reason. He looks over to the clock and sees it’s a bit before 9AM and starts to get up. He uses a new grab bar to pull himself up, getting a bit dizzy but quickly recovering. 

As he sits up at the edge of his bed, Nico takes inventory of how his body feels. Definitely still in pain, but it’s a normal amount. At that thought, he grabs an outfit and cautiously makes his way towards the bathroom. It’s not like he hasn’t fallen before in his cabin, but it would definitely be embarrassing in front of a certain son of Apollo. 

When Nico emerges from the bathroom, he’s met with Will sitting on his couch idly fidgeting with the bracelets on his arms as he stares into space. Nico grabs his crutches and backpack, figuring that after yesterday’s events that it’s best to not go out without some meds on him, and makes his way back to Will who still hasn’t noticed that Nico’s in front of him. He lightly taps the medic’s foot with his crutch.

“Will? You there?” Nico asks, trying to make his tone as gentle sounding as possible. 

Will sits up and looks at Nico, shaking his head in shock, “Shit! Yeah, sorry. Zoned out. Let’s go to breakfast.”

The two boys make their way towards the Mess Hall, and Nico is still very much confused about Will’s short answers this morning. He doesn’t seem angry, but Nico knows that he tends to miss things like that unless it’s told to him extremely directly. 

He doesn’t hate you, idiot. Everybody gets in moods. Focus on Will. 

“You seem quiet this morning, are you okay?” Nico asks awkwardly. 

Will flinches, “Hmm?”

“You seem quiet this morning, are you okay?” Nico repeats more clearly. 

“Oh. Yeah, I am. For the most part at least. I think the exhaustion of everything is catching up to me. Like, yesterday was the first day in weeks where I got to relax and do normal camp stuff, and the first time in like a week I’ve been out of the infirmary. My body’s just realizing that it can relax now, so it’s hitting really hard. It happened last year, too, after Manhattan. Although, I just told myself that was the grief at the time,” Will explains, “But yeah. I’m alright. Just wanna take it easy today.” 

“That makes sense, maybe we can just do the attic organizing stuff today?” Nico offers, choosing not to question the healer more despite his continuing worries. 

Will grabs both of them breakfast as Nico walks alongside him telling what he likes. By the time they get to the Big Three table, they both have filled plates. Will quietly starts to eat as Nico joins Jason and Percy’s conversation. 

“I love Annabeth, and I love the way she loves learning. But that cabin has way too many English books and it makes my brain hurt,” Percy complains, “I’m still going to help her today don’t get me wrong, but I swear her mom hates me so much she’s making it worse on purpose.”

“Ugh, I swear the gods just took the dyslexia and ADHD and upped it by a hundred for kids of the Big Three. Even with Italian being phonetic, it feels like a lost cause.” Nico adds. 

“Dyslexia is such a pain, dude. And you would think her mom would give you a little bit of breathing room after everything, but no. Sorry, but I can’t make myself do that again all day. It messed with my vision too much,” Jason responds sympathetically. 

“No worries, bro.” Percy replies, glancing at a silent Will Solace, “...He good?”

“Yeah, just tired after everything. We’re probably going to have a low-energy day sorting the attic,” Nico explains, Will still mostly zoned out while eating. 

Percy nods, “Felt that, I crashed last year after the war when I got back home. Just make sure you check-in with him, alright?”

Nico looks at Percy with a confused expression. Since when does Percy know Will? Percy catches on quickly.

“I mean, I’m just assuming Will is like the rest of the campers that were really core to the Battle of Manhattan. Not that you weren’t, but it was pretty brutal for the ones that came from Camp,” and survived going unsaid as Percy elaborates, Will still not noticing the conversation.

“That makes sense, yeah,” Nico responds earnestly. 

“You mind if I join you two in the attic? I don’t wanna think today,” Jason changes the conversation topic. 

Nico gives a thumbs up. He then prods Will and repeats Jason’s ask, who also flashes a thumbs up before going back to eating. 

The three keep chatting as they eat, occasionally looking over to Will who is still silent. At some point, they notice that Will took off his CIs and has them placed on the table next to his plate. 

“Wanna do morning treatments in your cabin? Jay and I have our stuff with us already because we always switch off cabins,” Percy asks Nico, who nods and flashes a smile in response.

Nico knocks on the table in front of Will to try to get his attention and motions that they’re leaving soon. He jolts back to the present and looks around, quickly gathering that the group is done with breakfast and putting his CIs back on. 

“I’m ready. Your cabin for treatments, yeah?” Will asks, Nico confirming with a quick nod. 

The four make their way to Cabin 13 and get settled around the couch, Percy and Nico sitting on the couch while Jason and Will opt for the floor. Will dry swallows a handful of pills that Nico doesn’t recognize, adjusts his CIs, leans back into the sunlight streaming through the window, takes a deep breath, and closes his eyes. Jason starts sipping from a thermos while doing some physical therapy exercises. 

“Cheers!” Percy jokingly exclaims, having set up his breathing treatment that was identical to Nico’s, the primary difference being him having a portable nebulizer machine. 

Nico rolls his eyes and reluctantly clinks his mouthpiece against Percy’s, earning a large grin from the son of Poseidon. When Nico finishes his treatments, he notices Percy taking out another device he doesn’t recognize. It makes a fluttering noise as he breathes in and out of it before Percy takes it out and coughs up some phlegm. 

“What is that?” Nico asks, pointing to the device Percy’s holding. 

“They didn’t give you one?” Percy wonders aloud, “It’s called an Acapella. I don’t know how it works, but it helps break up the shit in my lungs so I can cough it up and breathe better. Apollo and Lee diagnosed me, so that might be the difference— or maybe it’s different exposures and upbringings. Helps me a ton though, I would definitely recommend asking about it. As long as I keep up with treatments, I can manage pretty fine.”

Nico raises his eyebrow at the mention of different upbringings, although he is relieved to hear that he might be able to build up his fighting tolerance again, “Will told me that the things that caused my stuff were mostly getting sick a lot when I was a kid, growing up when it was normal to smoke everywhere, and going… downstairs. What do you mean by different upbringings?”

Percy grimaces briefly before changing to his normal, more upbeat expression, “My ex-stepfather used to chain smoke in our already-shitty apartment so I already had asthma. Then I got blown up by a volcano, shit got a lot worse and I got COPD. Then Styx fixed it, New Rome un-fixed it, I didn’t have meds. Only then did I go yanno… downstairs. We’re different.”

“Sorry to bring that up,” Nico quickly apologizes. Idiota! He’s from this century and has been the subject of two world-ending prophecies! Of course it’s traumatic.  

“No biggie, I think we should get going though. I can feel Annabeth impatiently pacing around the library as we speak,” Percy jokes as he gets up and heads out the door. 

Nico nudges Will Solace, who flinches slightly before shaking his head as if he is just waking up. Jason flashes a look of concern and offers Will a hand to get up. The three boys head towards the Big House. As they arrive, Nico sees Chiron standing on the porch and stops to talk to him, waving the two blondes along.

“Hi,” Nico awkwardly starts, “I’m planning to stay. Year-round, that is.”

“Hello Nico, I am glad to hear that. I see you have been making good company with a certain son of Apollo as well,” Chiron responds, “Is that all?”

“No, uh… Connor and Will were talking about teaching classes? I thought maybe I could help with that. They mentioned classes about sword fighting, non-matter manipulation, and Underworld things?” Nico asks uncertainly. 

“Ah yes, of course! I did not know that teaching interested you. While I typically require head counselors to teach, I was intending to allow you to have a non-counselor schedule since you haven’t had the chance to before. If you are planning to spend most of your time here, then I see no reason why you cannot help with those classes. I trust you have trained quite a bit over the years,” Chiron explains, “Make sure to confer with others about how to make the curricula.”

“Sounds good, I’m gonna get going now,” Nico replies, giving a thumbs up as he begins to walk away.

“And Nico?” Chiron stops the son of Hades, “I am quite glad to see you are doing better. You were in a worrying state when you arrived with the statue. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you need anything.”

Nico smiles in return and makes his way to the attic. He cautiously looks around, hoping to avoid a conversation with Mr. D until he has his therapy appointment with him. As he approaches the entrance to the attic, he notices Jason sitting at the bottom of the stairs. 

“They made me wait down here for you because I’m the newest since I won’t actually know anything up there,” Jason explains, “Anyways, they haven’t made the attic accessible yet, do you need help getting up there?”

“I don’t want to inconvenience you or anything,” replies Nico, feeling bad that he already made Jason wait that long.

“Nah, don’t worry about it dude. I really don’t mind, plus it gave them time to make it less cramped up there. Seriously, anything you need?” Jason refutes.

“I should be able to crawl up the stairs myself, can you carry my crutches though?” Nico asks, “Also, they?”

“Gotcha,” the son of Jupiter confirms as he’s handed Nico’s crutches and follows Nico up the stairs, “And yeah, Connor Stoll and Will are up there already.”

The two enter the musty attic to see the other senior counselors digging through a cardboard box. The room is large for an attic, but filled to the brim with spoils of war, tokens from quests, and gods don’t even know what else. A small, haphazard path has been cleared to allow Nico through with his crutches. 

“We’re trying to make three piles: keep in the Big House, redistribute to campers, and literal garbage.” Will explains, “However, we are rapidly running out of places to put things.”

“Can’t we just clear the deck below and throw the trash out the window?” Nico asks, noticing the large, round window they had already opened for air flow.

“That’s two against one now! Please please please let us have some fun, oh so benevolent infirmary overlord,” Connor begs.

“It’s the fastest way, I can make sure nothing breaks on the way down and make sure the area stays clear?” Jason offers.

“The three of you should never be allowed in the same room again,” Will sighs, “I suppose, but one of you has to go ask Chiron and Mr. D.” 

Jason dashes down the stairs, quickly returning with a large smile signaling the plan was approved. He joins the others among the boxes, chucking some of the garbage out the window to make room for himself.

Connor gasps, pulling out a celestial bronze contraption encasing a glowing orb, “Dude! Do you remember this?” 

Will gasps with equal excitement, “Oh my gods, I almost forgot about that quest! Beck, Castor, and Aditya were such a power trio.” 

Nico looks at Will with confusion, he vaguely recognizes some of the names from escorting them to Elysium and from stories around camp. He glances at Jason, who looks equally confused. 

“Charles Beckendorf, son of Hephaestus; Castor, son of Dionysus; and Aditya, son of Apollo. The first two died in the last war, but Aditya aged out and went to college before y’all got here. They were such a trio, always getting away with whatever they did and having these outrageous schemes. They were all year-rounders, and it can get boring here. Anyways, Aditya got a quest from our dad to capture some solar flare rays from the brightest point on the summer solstice, something about it being ‘vital’ for his newest poetry,” Will rolls his eyes.

Nico can’t help but laugh at the imagery of the god, Lord Apollo, creating an entire quest to supplement his mediocre poetry.

Will continues through everyone’s giggling, “So obviously he chooses Beck and Castor to come along, and of course that takes them to Inuvik because they have 24/7 sun during the summer. So they’re all freezing their asses off trying to catch these rays because none of them thought it’d be cold during the summer. Adi has decent light manipulation powers, so he tried to direct it towards the jar Beck made. It worked, but he also diffracted it in a million different directions, hit them all, and completely knocked them all out. Also Beckendorf had this all recorded. They made it back fine, but we all got a good laugh seeing that footage,” 

“And Apollo came by to share the poetry he made, and it was exactly the same as it was before!” Connor exclaims before pulling out a specimen jar full of small, white worms, “Yo, this is from when I got here!”

It takes a lot for Nico to get squeamish, but he would be lying if he said that the jar didn’t make him squirm. He deals with the death part of the Underworld, not the bugs part. Nonetheless, the son of Hermes’ eagerness lures him in, so he eggs on Connor, “What did you do, shit them out or something?”

“No! Trav and I are from Appalachia, we grew up in a rural mountain town in West Virginia. Which meant it was easy to get into shit and we had basically infinite space to run around as little ADHD demigods. We were at our school having a worm charming contest with our friends when we accidentally summoned a skōlex, which is a big worm monster. Turns out it was a mama worm and she was pissed that we woke up her babies. The Hunters happened to be nearby and killed the mama worm,” Connor explains. 

Nico tries to hide his grimace at the mention of the Hunters.  

Connor continues recollecting, “But, I grabbed a bunch of the babies and stuffed them in my pockets— like any self-respecting little kid from my town would’ve done. The Hunters begrudgingly escorted us to camp and I ended up hiding the worms in Mr. D’s Pinochle set. The scream he let out was one that I didn’t even know a god could make, and the only reason he didn’t smite me on the spot was because my dad claimed me before he could. Almost like to laugh at his godly brother. I guess he kept the babies after killing them. I’ll be taking them back, though,” setting the jar next to him fondly. 

“Let me get this straight, your first prank at this camp was not only on one of the only three adults at this camp, but on the god of madness??” Jason asks in shock, Connor nodding enthusiastically.

“I mean, I annoyed my dad into fighting in Manhattan. Like literally following him around ranting at him, his hands over his ears going ‘la la la’ trying to block me out,” Nico defends Connor.

“We’ll circle back to the complete lack of self-preservation both of you have when it comes to the gods,” Will comments, “But yeah, we heard Mr. D grumble about those worms for years after. I think he literally increased monster security just because of that prank.”

“Whoa, this is a Roman weapon! I’m surprised Chiron didn’t get rid of this,” Jason says, holding an Imperial Gold sword that is inscribed with Latin writing, “It looks like this is from the Civil War and belonged to a son of Mars who was a Centurion of the Fifth Cohort at the time. And I know, we took the shitty and wrong side of that war and the dude was probably just a weird racist. But, it’s still cool to see something that old. There were like… no Imperial Gold weapons in New Rome until a few months ago.”

The four boys continue digging through the boxes, slowly but surely making progress as they create piles for each cabin and create some order to the artifacts remaining in the attic. As they chug along, Connor and Will exchange stories from their years at camp, both from first-hand experience and tales that have been passed down to them. Even though Nico and Jason are comparatively newbies to camp, they still enjoy hearing all they have to share. 

Will is still trying to hide how tired he is, though. Is he actually alright? Regardless, Nico doesn’t want to press the issue in front of everybody else. 

The boys have rearranged the majority of the attic when Nico opens a small box that he drops upon realizing what’s inside— Bianca’s green hat and crossbody wallet-bag that she used to wear religiously. He frankly had no clue that either of those items still existed, but as he flips over the box he sees the label: Bianca di Angelo; daughter of Hades; 2007; personal effects, unable to be returned to family. 

He takes a deep breath, gently thumbing over the hat that their mother had gifted her all those years ago in Venice. He opens her bag to find what you would usually find in a preteen’s wallet: a few dollars, a library card, some business cards, her Merriweather Prep ID, and a Lotus Casino card. Less expected, he finds a pocket filled with photos that Nico has never seen in his life, ones that Bianca shouldn’t have known about either. There’s family photos from the 1930s, a photo of their old home in Venice, photos from DC, carefully labeled photos of their mother and her extended family. 

Tucked into that same pocket is a note written in Ancient Greek scrawl, “ Give to Niccolò when he returns to camp, consider the photographs a gift. I am sorry, son. -Lord Hades.”

“Santo Ade,” Nico says in awe, “Bianca Aniella di Angelo, mi sorprendi sempre.”

Will and Connor stare at Nico with faces of shock, both knowing about the grim fate of the daughter of Hades. Neither of them had any clue that the box existed either, so it must have gone directly to Mr. D or Chiron. 

“Percy told us they searched that junkyard for hours and couldn’t find anything, there’s no way they brought that back. It had to be a direct delivery to Mr. D or Chiron from your dad, because I’m pretty sure campers and counselors never even heard of that box existing,” Connor states, attempting to help Nico make sense of the situation.

“Mr. D, definitely. He has a nasty habit of shoving things up here and forgetting about them. I heard him and Chiron bickering about it once. I think it’s leftover ADHD object impermanence— he was a demigod once upon a time, after all. But you should have been given that the moment you returned to camp after Manhattan,” Will adds. 

“It’s okay, I’m really glad I have it now. That’s what matters the most. Even though my father definitely could have just given this to me directly or left it in my room in his palace,” Nico replies. If he was given this two years ago, it would be a vastly story. But he’s made peace with Bianca’s death for the most part, and is mostly just happy to have more to remember her by. 

“Since when did you know Italian?” asks Connor.

Nico shrugs, “It’s my first language. I don’t have anyone to speak it to really anymore, but I still default to it sometimes. I think I said something like ‘Holy Hades, Bianca you always surprise me,’ earlier. I lost the accent, but I thought my name gave it away.”

“Eh, I don’t assume things. But that’s so cool! I learned Appalachian English growing up with my grandparents, but that’s a dialect. I lost the accent for the most part, too. Will’s got me passable in ASL, though,” Connor rambles.

“Your signing is good! Miles better than most of the camp. Don’t tell anyone I said that, though. I’m supposed to be encouraging about hearing people learning ASL,” replies Will.

“I feel boring. I only know Latin and English,” Jason jokingly wallows.

Nico laughs, “It looks like we’re about done and I’m getting hungry for lunch, I don’t know about you three though?”

Fully pulling the other three boys out of their hyperfocus on the task at hand, they all realize how hungry they are and head to the Mess Hall as quickly as they can manage. Admittedly, it isn’t too fast as they don’t want to leave Nico behind, but it’s the spirit that counts, as Connor notes. 

They all end up sitting together at the Hermes table, they had missed most of lunch and the Mess Hall was mostly cleared out. Will still looks tired, but seems more present than he was at breakfast. Nico never really took notice of how energizing Connor’s storytelling can be, but appreciates it as he keeps eagerly chatting through the meal. 

As they finish up eating, the four talk about their afternoon plans. Will wants to take a nap in his cabin, and Connor and Jason have committed to helping Jake polish some swords. With little motivation to help with that effort, being thoroughly fatigued from the morning, and wanting to put Bianca’s things away, Nico decides to head towards his cabin for a nap too. 

Surely you won’t have any nightmares. It’s daytime, and the tea ought to still have some effect.  

Nico approaches his cabin and sees the one and only Percy Jackson sitting on the ramp to his doorway, looking like he’s about to burst with how much he wants to talk. The son of Poseidon quickly stands up and waves at Nico when he notices the younger boy approaching. 

Merda, there goes my nap.

Chapter Text

“Do you have time to talk?” Percy asks as soon as Nico reaches Cabin 13’s doorway. 

The older teen is rocking on his feet and picking at his lips as he waits for an answer. Nico feels the exact same way, if not worse. In fact, he would describe himself as “absolutely filled to the brim and pulsating with nerves,” if he was being more accurate. But he’s properly cornered, so he’s not gonna say that.

As if I have much choice in this, but it’s better than dreading until I muster the nerve to do it myself. And gods know how long that could be.  

There’s so much for Nico to say, and he’s sure that Percy has just as much to say, but at the same time he feels like there’s no way he could ever articulate what he actually feels. Everything feels like this gigantic explosion of everything, like a black hole absorbing his being and spitting it back out to be shot throughout his body. 

Realizing he got too lost in thought and feeling pain run up his legs, Nico responds, “Yeah I have time. But I need to sit down, come in.”

The two get settled on the couch and Nico sends a quiet prayer to his father to leave him alone for the next few hours just in case. Both of them know far too well that not having cabinmates doesn’t mean somebody’s not watching— it’s nearly impossible to get genuine privacy in camp. Nico starts rhythmically drumming his fingers against his leg as Percy sits across from him, looking like he wants to speak. 

“Congratulations, by the way. I never said that when you talked to Annabeth and I last week. I’m happy for you. Even if I’m not your type,” Percy starts, “I think I was just caught off guard completely, which is a shitty excuse. I just thought you hated my guts until then.”

“I did hate you for a while, but that wasn’t fair of me,” Nico explains, not sure if it would be easier if Percy was pissed at him or not. 

“You didn’t need to be fair, you were grieving. And just a kid who lost his entire world,” Percy refutes, “Plus, it’s not like the world was really fair to you. I’m sorry it all ended up the way that it did. Yanno, we never stopped looking for you after you disappeared all those years ago.”

“You looked for me after the first day?” Nico asks, looking Percy in the eye with shock.

“Chiron and Mr. D said it was pointless, but I kept having visions of you and I had to keep looking. We kept looking up until we saw you at the Ranch and got too swamped with the quest and the war to keep it up. Plus after the Battle of the Labyrinth, I had a little bit more trust that you were able to keep yourself alive,” Percy answers.

Nico logically knows that the mention of the Labyrinth in front of Percy shouldn’t send him into a panic. That he’s survived far worse. Yet here he is, feeling like his heart beating out of his chest, barely maintaining a normal breathing rate as he tries to hide the looming flashback from Percy. Suddenly, the air feels hot and stale, and he swears he can feel the cool chill of Minos’ presence run up his spine. Scripture plays in his head. It repeats over and over and over again until Nico can barely process the son of Poseidon in front of him.

“The hand of the Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field— on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats.” - Exodus 9:3

“The hand of the Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field— on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats.” - Exodus 9:3

“The hand of the Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field— on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats.” - Exodus 9:3

The narrow walls of the Labyrinth form around him, the roots seemingly reaching out to grab him as he treks through the passageways. The presence of King Minos weighs on his shoulders, roughly guiding him— more like shouting at him. Each command feels like a stab through his head, but he could never tell Minos that. When Nico tried to bring it up once, Minos instantly told him he was a weak, pathetic excuse of a person. How could he expect to bring back Bianca if he can’t handle a little bit of noise? 

He stumbles into a herd of cows, obnoxiously red cows. Minos scolds him for being so reckless and slaps him in the back of the head. He deserves the punishment. He should be more cautious of where he’s walking. The stench of manure stewing in the heat, the humidity sticking to his skin. 

Nico meets Geryon. Well, more like Minos talks about Nico to Geryon. Minos disappears, telling Geryon to make sure the son of Hades stays in line and whispering threats to Nico that leave the boy shaking in fear. 

His mind violently pulls him through the worst of it. The deep pain plaguing his body from hunger and long hours of Geryon-assigned labor. The burning feeling of the aftermath from being his and Minos’ demigod punching bag. His whirlwind of emotions upon Percy Jackson arriving at the ranch. 

Being trapped. 

Trapped.

Trapped.

Tied up. Fated to die. Although then you’d at least be with Bianca. You didn't deserve to live. Relying once again on Percy Jackson and the will of the gods to scrape by. He’s trapped. He’s stuck. 

He isn’t in the Labyrinth anymore, he’s in his father’s domain and Riptide is pressed up against his neck. The cool blade drawing blood from his neck, the smell of metal taking over his senses. 

He isn’t in the palace anymore, he’s surrounded by bronze walls as the oxygen is slowly stolen from his body. The air stale and humid from his own breath, suffocating him for days.

He isn’t in the jar, he’s trapped in the shed again, the smell of formaldehyde choking him endlessly. The autumn air seemingly miles away as he cries to be found.

He doesn’t know where he is anymore. He is everywhere. He is nowhere. He wishes he was nowhere. He longs for all of this to end. He longs to be free. He will never be free. He will always be stuck.

Stuck.

Stuck.

Forever subject to the will of whatever god, demigod, or anything in between that wants to fuck him over again. He will never defeat Minos so long as he remembers him. His wretched voice overtaking his senses. You are worthless. You are weak. You are nothing. It should have been you. You deserve to d—

A cool feeling runs over his arms.

Nico.

Nico!

NICO!

Chapter Text

Nico is hyperventilating, tears streaming down his face and his sobbing is the only thing vaguely slowing his breathing. So much for trying to hide it from Percy. He sees ribbons of water flowing around his arms, apparently at some point he had ripped off jacket to dig his nails into his arms and attempted to get to the bathroom. He scolds himself internally for not having the sense about him to not put his scars on full display. He starts repeatedly hitting his head. 

I should be stronger than this. I’m supposed to be stronger than this. What the fuck is wrong with me? 

“Nico, please. You need to breathe. Should I get Will?” Percy pleas, Nico violently shakes his head in disagreement and starts to roughly rake his nails over his arms again, “Can I touch your hands?” 

Nico hesitates, but nods out of desperation for relief. 

The son of Poseidon gently takes Nico’s hands to stop him from hurting himself. Percy holds one of Nico’s hands on his own chest, taking deliberate breaths for him to follow. Holding his other hand, Percy creates small waves that ebb and flow up the younger boy’s arms to match the calm breaths, healing the nail marks from moments earlier. Nico’s breathing gradually begins to match Percy’s and his sobbing slows to quiet tears. The two sit in silence, Percy keeping up the waves until Nico pulls away.

“I didn’t know you had healing powers,” Nico breaks the silence “And I’m sorry for all of that. You can leave, I’m fine.” 

“If you want me to leave, I will. But I am more than okay with staying. It sucks to be alone after having a flashback like that, and I have a feeling you’re not actually fine,” Percy replies, “And honestly? I knew water could heal me but I hadn’t ever really tried to heal anybody else before. At least not like that.”

“You can stay,” Nico decides, “How did you know what to do?”

“I didn’t come out of a shitty childhood and two wars unscathed. I get them too. The flashbacks, panic attacks, and all that PTSD fun,” Percy explains, punctuated with sarcastic jazz hands. He continues, “I have a feeling that we’re more similar than either of us want to believe," 

“I’m sorry I betrayed you!” Nico blurts out, “It was shitty of me, I should have known better. And I shouldn’t have ever blamed you for Bianca. That was also shitty. I’ve been so, so shitty…” 

“Whoa, it’s really okay. It’s not like I was much better. I literally choked you and permanently scarred your neck, talk about shitty. And you were a grieving, lost kid. I don’t hold it against you. If anything, I did far worse,” Percy cuts off Nico’s self depreciation and grimly glances down at the younger boy’s arms, “I hate myself for how much I’ve hurt you.”

“It wasn’t your fault. It was all the prophecies and the gods. And all of this? I started far before you came into my life, of course I didn’t stop,” Nico answers with a light tone, trying to avoid the topic of Percy choking him. 

“Some of it was my fault. I didn’t treat you the same after the Styx. And I’ve seen how you act around me since then,” refutes Percy. 

Nico carefully chooses his next words, wanting to clear the air like Will recommended but not wanting to trigger himself again. 

“The logical part of me trusts you and knows you wouldn’t do that again. That you argued for me to be rescued during the last quest and took on the prophecy for me. But there’s this other, irrational part of me that sometimes gets stuck back in the moment. Where I can’t breathe, and your sword is pressing up against me, and my neck is bleeding, and I’m pleading for my life again. And sometimes it’s hard to shake that feeling. I don’t want you to feel guilty. It was a fair response. It just sometimes sucks that I’m left like this…” Nico trails off at the end

Percy takes a deep breath before stopping all of his fidgeting and looking Nico in the eyes, “I don’t think I ever properly apologized. I am so, so sorry for hurting you like that down there. For losing my trust in you. You didn’t deserve that. I wouldn’t blame you if you never wanted to see my face again after everything I did. I tried so hard to protect you from the prophecy that I got lost in it all and I ended up hurting you still. Not that that’s an excuse, there is no excuse. I’m sorry you had to grow up so fast and go through all this shit. And I really do hope that you get to have some peace now.”

The son of Hades hadn’t realized how much he needed to hear that. It only took him a few months with his father after Kronos fell to forgive Percy, or so he thought. But what Percy had just said was more than an apology, it was giving what happened a name. It dawns on him then— he feels understood. 

“When I was still in Italy, my Mamma used to tell me that you can tell a relationship is good when it survives the storms of life. It was dangerous to be a single mother back then, especially with the rise of the war and how popular Catholicism was. She lost a lot of her friends and family when Bianca and I came along. A lot of family too,” Nico starts to explain. 

Percy nods, he has this expression like he really understands it. On a personal level.

Nico continues, “I remember it being really hard, my father was limited in how involved he could get away with being. I would get sick constantly and there was no way we could afford food, let alone a doctor. And all the neighbors, they would support each other to make sure they could make ends meet. My Mamma didn’t have that. Bia and I always noticed, the whispers of our teachers and neighbors. And anytime we would bring it up to our Mamma, she would tell us that. To tell us it’s temporary, and one day it will be okay. I’d like to think it applies to us.”

“I want that to be true too," Percy answers genuinely, “How can I do that?”

Nico takes a deep breath, he didn’t expect this to be going so well and starts rambling as he tries to organize his thoughts, “I don’t know. Maybe just trying to be normal friends? As normal as it can be for us. I liked when we hung out with Jason the other day, and eating together has been nice too. You know, talking about things like friends do. Also talking through things like this is nice. I feel like I never actually knew you, and I just knew the idea of you.” 

Percy nods as Nico speaks, intensely focused on the conversation “I’ve liked it too, I think I need to be better at actually knowing you too. Obviously, I’ve missed some things. And it’s not your fault you don’t really know me, I kind of keep a lot hidden. Did you know I also grew up poor as hell? So much for having all-powerful dads.”

Nico laughs and changes the topic, feeling at ease with the way the conversation has gone, “Do you wanna play some cards?” 

“Sure!” Percy’s smile falters slightly, “But no poker, please.”

The son of Hades raises his eyebrow, remembering back to when Percy seemed fine playing poker while he was in the infirmary. 

“Bad memories. Usually I can handle it just fine, but I’m a bit too on edge to trust that right now. Not your fault. I liked playing it with all of you the other day, though,” explains Percy. 

“Makes sense. Do you know how to play Egyptian Rat Screw?” Nico asks, Percy nodding in response, “Perfect. You’re going down, Jackson.”

After winning for what felt like the millionth time in a row, Percy flops on the floor dramatically and groans, “This is so unfair! You have like… 70 years of playtime on me. I need some kind of like… fish-based game to beat you at.”

“Maybe you should just try being better?” Nico quips back.

Percy jokingly shoves Nico, “You’re lucky Solace hasn’t cleared either of us for sparring yet, mark my words that when that happens I’m the first in line to challenge you.”

“I think that Chiron would actually have a heart attack if we went full force for sparring, I remember when you and Thalia fought during that one game of Capture the Flag. And I heard about you and Jason in Kansas. We’d cause more damage than the Romans did,” Nico laughs. 

“Eh, the arena needs a remodel anyway. The columns are so last millennia,” Percy replies. 

Nico opens his mouth to respond, but is cut off by the sound of the dinner horn blaring through the camp. Percy eagerly gathers up the cards, gets up, and reaches out his hand to Nico. The younger clasps both of his hands around Percy’s and pulls himself up, wavering as his vision lags in adjusting to suddenly standing up. Percy quickly grabs the boy’s other arm to steady him. 

“Whoa! You good? Does that happen a lot when you stand up?” Percy asks while pulling over Nico’s wheelchair with his foot. 

“I’m fine, it’s normal for me. I just need my crutches, can you grab them?” Nico answers, moving to lean against his couch.

“Gotcha,” Percy responds, “I went to school for a bit with somebody that had that happen too. We were in the kids-with-problems gym class together. It had a long name that I can’t remember, though. Dys… Dys… something.”

“Will’s still completely stumped, so you’re closer to figuring it out than he is. Or anybody else for that matter. Maybe talking to him would help? He’s got access to all the medical stuff,” Nico adds as he gets situated with his crutches, “I’m hungry, let’s go.” 

The two make their way to the Mess Hall, running into Will Solace on the way, who still looks exhausted despite his alleged afternoon nap. Nico flashes a look of concern, but Will waves it off with an excuse about his cabin being too loud to take a good nap. The son of Hades chooses not to question him further, even though he knows Will could have just taken off his CIs if that was really the problem. 

“I have a mortal friend who had a condition kind of like Nico’s where he would sometimes black out or get dizzy when he’d stand up. He told me it was something with a long name, dys-something. I can’t remember exactly, I think it also had an acronym that was easier. Might’ve started with a B? Or a P? I can’t remember. Thought it might help you with figuring out what’s going on with Nico,” Percy explains to the medic, who suddenly looks much more awake. 

“Do you remember anything else about him?” asks Will.

“He would get really out of breath and his heart would race too when it happened. I met him in a gym class for kids with problems, and I remember it was harder for him when it was hot and humid and the class would have our weekly walks outside. But he has pretty bad epilepsy, so he ended up having to drop out and do school online.”

“Thanks! I’m going to ask Chiron if I can use the computer to look more into it. I think all of our Ancient Greek textbooks are too out of date. I’ve basically memorized them at this point, and nothing has come up,”

The three boys join Jason at the Big Three table with heaping bowls of paneer bhuna with paratha on the side. Nico hasn’t tried it before, but Will reassures him that it’s tasty and explains that the cooking harpies have been expanding their menus since enough campers complained about missing their foods from home. The son of Hades takes a cautious bite, and is instantly met with a beautiful mix of onions and cilantro as he eats a soft cube of paneer. 

“I might need to take a trip to Bangladesh, this is great,” Nico comments, earning a groan from Will.

“Please don’t shadow travel to the other side of the world, risking being lost to darkness, for good curry. I promise you we can find something in the city,” Will begs. 

“Anyone have favors to call in from Hermes? Maybe he can take us there plane-free. Because a certain god of being dramatic likes to try to smite Nico and I for no good reason other than being in the air,” Percy suggests.

“I’m sorry what?!” Jason chokes on his drink.

“Your pops. Real piece of work,” Percy rolls his eyes, thunder rumbling above. He looks up to the sky and points accusingly, “Remember when I saved Olympus not once, but twice? Me too. Chill.”

“Maybe I can pray to him enough that you both can get a pass. It’s not your fault you were born, anyways,” Jason ponders. 

Will dramatically sighs, “ Why in the gods’ names are we all forgetting about the massive city a quick drive away that has plenty of authentic Bengali food? Demigods can drive to normal restaurants like mortals do!” 

“I guess that can tie me over. For now…” Nico gives in with a devious smirk. 

“I’ve been trying to convince Mr. D to ask the harpies to start making duritos and paletas for the camp store snacks, but I think he just shoots me down for fun,” Percy complains, being met with looks of confusion. He then explains, “I grew up in East Harlem, it’s mostly Latino. We moved a little closer to Midtown when I was thirteen and my life has been incomplete with the lack of food carts and decent bodegas ever since.” 

“Would you ever move back?” the son of Jupiter asks.

“I would love to, but the neighborhood got so gentrified. I’m pretty sure I’ll be priced out of it unless I hit the jackpot with inheriting a rent controlled apartment from an old family friend. Or can somehow find a unit for sale that by some divine miracle, I can afford,” Percy responds, “The city’s my home, don’t get me wrong. But East Harlem is my home home. ”

“Doesn’t your dad have like… an entire undersea domain with untold riches?” Will follows up.

“Yeah, but I don’t wanna rely on him for that kind of thing. It feels like cheating. Or like I’m part of the problem. Like ‘Look at this rich white boy with daddy’s money being the literal problem.’ I’ll pass, thank you,” Percy immediately answers, “I think the only situation I’d consider taking his money is if he bought a building and I was able to rent out the units for actually reasonable prices to the community with actual ethics and not being a slumlord.”

Will and Jason nod along, surprised about the son of Poseidon’s response as neither of them have experience being on the receiving end of a terrible landlord. Nico, however, isn’t surprised at all. It makes sense. But he supposes it takes one to know one— a kid that grew up poor despite having an all-powerful god as a father. 

Dinner wraps up and Percy and Jason head back to Cabin 3, something about a double date movie night they had planned, leaving Will and Nico alone. The two opt to go back to Nico’s cabin, guessing that the campfire still isn’t an option. If there’s one thing about gods, it’s that they have a worse sense of mortal time than any demigod with ADHD does. 

The two sit down on Nico’s couch, Will grabs the projector and fiddles with it until he finds a nature documentary to play in the background. They chat about their day and talk about their plans for the next day as they passively watch the video. Nico updates Will about Chiron approving him to teach and the pleasant outcome of the conversation with Percy, leaving out the details about having a flashback. He doesn’t want to burden the son of Apollo with every detail of his messed up brain, plus he worked it out relatively fine. 

I’m also still worried about how off Will’s been today. 

All the walking from the day starts to catch up to Nico, and he decides to lay down on the couch. He pulls his legs as close to his body as he can in hopes of making sure that Will still has enough room. He involuntarily winces at metal pinching his skin as he pushes the range of movement his braces will allow.

“You can stretch out, yanno,” Will casually says, “I don’t mind if you put your legs on my lap. I can practically feel your discomfort from over here.”

Nico slowly stretches his legs, resting his knees over the healer’s lap. He can’t lie, it’s a hundred times more comfortable than it was before. As much as it upsets him to realize, he definitely pushed his limits today with walking— especially after not being able to all that much since the war ended. 

“Oh! I made your nighttime tea into a pill form, just in case there’s some days where that’s better for you,” Will remembers, producing a brown glass bottle from one of his many pockets, “Take one at night instead of the tea.”

Nico takes the bottle and dry swallows a pill, realizing how exhausted he is from the long day he’s had. He mutters something about being tired, pushes himself up, and drags himself to his bed. Throwing his braces to the end of his bed and looking across the room, he expects to see the medic getting ready for bed too. However, he’s met with Will standing next to his bed.

“I think I’ve gotta head out, sorry. Your health seems pretty stable, and I think Mr. D might turn me into a dolphin if I push the rules any further. Especially since he’s had to actually pay attention to the Apollo cabin since I’ve been too preoccupied with Head Healer responsibilities since the war ended. Heaven forbid he does his job, right?” Will tries to lighten the mood, clearly disappointed that he has to leave.

“It’s okay, couldn’t hog you forever. Sweet dreams, Solace.” 

“Sweet dreams, di Angelo.”

Chapter Text

A cacophony of upset voices and knocking abruptly wakes up Nico. He would be angrier about it, but something last night gave him an inkling that this was coming. The something being the fact he had accidentally self-isolated for around a week as he fixated on making a curriculum for his Underworld class. He would probably still be if Alecto hadn't bitterly pointed out yesterday how much time he's been spending in the Underworld as of late. 

Part of his father trying to make a more conscious effort to be involved in his life while making sure Nico doesn't push his powers to the brink of death again has been giving him things of varying levels of usefulness. A Stygian Iron dagger, a cloaking device for his weapons, an air fryer that Hephaestus claims is “all the rage” these days, an enchanted dish set that magically summons food, and a Halloween Bath & Body Works candle that claims to smell like vampire blood— just to name a few things. 

Most importantly, he gifted him two Stygian Iron arm cuffs. One sheaths his sword and functions like Riptide with its instant release.The other is embedded with gems, each stone has a different function that activates if he pushes one and says “ῥόα,” the word for pomegranate in Ancient Greek. He can summon one of his father's trained hellhounds, open it into a shield, send an emergency message to anyone he desires, and teleport between his cabin and his room in the palace. 

As much as Nico already knows about the Underworld, he figures there's nothing better than the original source. All of this to say: he hasn't left his cabin except to talk to spirits in the Underworld. At the very least, he can proudly tell Will that he's been sticking to their agreement of him laying off on the power usage while he recovers.

Before Nico is able to get up to answer the door, five demigods burst through the door. At first they look relieved, but the expressions quickly change to various degrees of concern and anger. 

“Do you have any idea what day it is?”

“Where have you been?”

“When was the last time you ate?”

“Dude, you can’t keep disappearing like that!”

“How long has it been since you’ve eaten?”

It feels just like that first day in the infirmary when the Argo II crew barged into his room. The voices overlapping and swimming around Nico’s head, overwhelming his senses. He tries to subtly cover his ears. The room suddenly feels much brighter and he shuts his eyes.

“Mi dispiace, mi dispiace, mi dispiace,” Nico mutters over and over again, the sound of his own voice causing him to wince in pain.

It feels like the voices keep talking at Nico forever as the son of Hades becomes increasingly overwhelmed. He begins to knock his knees against each other in an effort to keep his inevitable breakdown from the demigods he’s yet to recognize in his room. It takes all of his strength to suppress the urge to rock, scream, cry, or all of the above. 

“Everybody shut up!” one of the voices shouts.

The room falls silent. Nico senses the lights in his cabin being dimmed. A voice whispers something indistinguishably and Nico hears the footsteps retreating. Less than a minute later, he hears rapid footsteps approaching and his cabin door slam shut. He jumps at the sound of the door. He feels a gentle weight on his lap and headphones slipped onto his head. 

Nico moves his hands to pull the headphones over his ears and touches the weight on his lap. It’s about the size of a baby blanket with plush quilted fabric covered in raised baubles. He keeps his eyes closed as he runs his hands over the material. After many minutes of sitting in silence, he slowly opens his eyes and lifts up his head to see Connor Stoll sitting on the edge of his bed. Behind him is Percy, Annabeth, Jason, and Kayla standing silently. 

“Sorry about all that noise, we were worried about you and got carried away,” Connor quietly apologizes, the rest of the demigods nodding in agreement. 

Before Nico gets a chance to respond, Connor places a pen and pad of paper on Nico’s lap. Quite fittingly, because the son of Hades does not feel up to talking quite yet. It’s still too loud. 

“It’s fine. Sorry for disappearing. Didn’t mean to, I’m ok,” he scrawls in Ancient Greek, handing it to the son of Hermes who shows it to the rest of the group.

Connor takes the pen and writes in response, “ Do you need quiet? We can leave and come back later.”

Nico thinks for a minute, then marks over Connor’s writing, drawing a check mark over needing quiet and writing that Connor only stays for now. The rest of the group looks slightly hurt, but understands and files out of the room quietly. The two boys sit in silence for several more minutes, Connor fidgets with something in his hands and gently rocks as Nico keeps running his hands over the small blanket. Nico takes a deep breath and removes the headphones.

“Where did all of this stuff come from?” asks Nico. 

Connor laughs, “That’s the first thing you say? It’s mine. I meant it when I said I had experience in that department, been living it my whole life.”

“But how’d you know it would work?”

“Just a hunch, I guess. Kayla jokes that I should work in the infirmary with my radar for that kind of stuff. She usually takes it back when she remembers I’m a son of Hermes, though.” 

“Radar for what kind of stuff?”

Connor hesitates at that question, pursing his lips and taking a deep breath before starting to speak, “Do you know what autism is?”

Nico searches his brain. Maybe? Ultimately, he shakes his head, “I think you mentioned it once?”

“That was my bad on assuming you knew, sorry. Do you remember the meltdown I had during the meeting? I told you it was because of my ADHD, which isn’t a lie. It just isn’t the whole truth. I’m autistic, my teachers clocked it almost as fast as they did the ADHD back when I was in preschool since they occur together pretty commonly. For me, it mostly makes me process sensory stuff differently, be really empathetic, and I get really into some interests— which all make social things hard sometimes,” Connor explains.

Nico nods along, thinking back to the meeting and connecting the dots.

Connor keeps talking, “Kayla thinks I have a radar for figuring out if a camper’s autistic too. She swears it’s a divine power that I always know how to best help somebody having a panic attack or meltdown or whatever. I think it’s just because I’m observant, autistic, and a Head Counselor of a cabin that was always super overcrowded until last year.”

“Does that mean that you think that I’m also, you know…” Nico trails off before he finishes the question.

“Travis tells me I’m supposed to let people figure it out on their own. But yeah, I do. I honestly thought you already knew, with how well you responded to me at the War Council and all. It doesn’t make you weird, though. Will told me something like over half of the campers here are autistic, or some wildly high rate like that. Out in the mortal world, there’s a ton of stigma around being autistic and it makes it shitty. There’s a reason so many of us fail out of multiple schools. But it’s pretty chill at camp these days,” Connor replies. 

He pauses and looks around the cabin to see the mess of Nico’s lesson planning and smirks, “You disappeared because you got lost in making your Underworld class, didn’t you?”

“...You caught me. Yeah, I’ve been talking to my father and spirits in the Underworld and eating either down there or in my cabin. I didn’t even know it had been a week until Alecto complained about me yesterday,” admits Nico. 

Connor laughs, “Yep, that’s the autism! Special interests, a super intense thing you like that lasts for a long time. A lot of autistic demigods have special interests related to their parents’ domains. The same thing happened to me when I was making the Locks and Traps class back when the border was failing. Clarisse was pissed that I missed my guard shift and chased me out of the cabin, but it was so worth it!”

Nico laughs at the image of a very mad Clarisse chasing the Stoll brother around camp. He then thinks over Connor’s explanation and asks, “What did you mean by processing sensory stuff differently? 

“I’m sensitive to some sounds and textures, like I don’t go anywhere near the forge because I can’t handle the sound of the grinders. I get overwhelmed when too much is happening at the same time, but I also sometimes don’t have enough sensory input and get just as upset. I need to stim— like rock back and forth, tap, hum, or fidget with something— to regulate myself a lot more than people who aren’t autistic, you’ve seen that too. My emotions and how I process them are also pretty related to that. I told you about how I feel them all super intensely, they kind of work like sensory input for me too where I need to use methods I use like when I’m overstimulated from sounds to get regulated again,” Connor explains patiently. 

“Overstimulated?”

“Like when everything feels like too much and you feel totally overwhelmed. Sometimes it feels like physical pain. I’d guess it’s what happened to you when we were all talking over each other earlier. There’s also understimulation, which feels kind of like an itch to have more happening.”

Suddenly, it clicks. Nico feels like his life makes sense, almost. It was so hard for him to make friends when he was at Westover Hall, when he was in the Casino he only ever talked to Bianca, he always got overwhelmed by sounds and textures, he literally split the ground open when he was upset at Percy, and he always used to get scolded by teachers for rocking in his chair or drumming his fingers. It’s really nice to hear somebody talk about what it’s like for them. It feels like proof that Nico isn’t the freak he was raised to think he is. Will apparently said it himself, autism is nearly as normal as ADHD at camp. For once, Nico doesn’t feel alone .  

“I think you’re right about me being autistic. It makes sense, and you basically just described me when you were talking about yourself,” says Nico.

“My autism radar remains intact, what can I say?” Connor grins.

“I need to eat before I do my treatments, want to get breakfast now?” Nico asks, knowing that he could eat in his cabin but figuring he should make an appearance in the Mess Hall. 

Nico opts for his wheelchair today, not wanting to push it too much after being relatively stationary for the past week. Even in his time in the Underworld, it hadn’t been particularly laborious. In fact, most spirits like getting updates about the Overworld and seek out Nico when he visits their areas. He pulls on his braces and sheaths his sword in the device his father gave him. Connor looks on in awe.

“Gift from Hades, he wants to be more involved in my life. I also have a zombie chauffeur as part of that effort,” Nico explains. 

“Dude I wish my dad would do that! I just have some flying shoes that he gives all his kids,” Connor complains. 

“Maybe you should try annoying him in his domain until he has to cave and be a real father? Worked for me at least.”

“I think I would get smited by every single god and goddess for slowing down their deliveries. He’s been a little more involved recently, though. I think Percy really laid it into him at some point, they’re weirdly close.”

Nico laughs, he knows exactly why they’re weirdly close: the gods always bother him and Percy with their menial errands or lost symbols of power. He tosses his backpack onto the handles of his wheelchair and glances around the room for anything he forgot, before flashing Connor a thumbs up to tell him he’s ready.

Connor eagerly leads the way, “Sweet! I heard they have lemon-blueberry pancakes today, I hope there’s still some left!”

Chapter Text

Connor and Nico make their way out the door to see Annabeth, Jason, and Percy sitting on the front porch. They immediately stand up when the door opens, but hesitate as they keep their distance from Nico.

“Are you okay?” asks Jason. 

Nico keeps moving towards the Mess Hall while explaining, “Yeah, just got overwhelmed with all the talking. I’ve mostly been in my cabin or the Underworld doing research for the class I’m teaching. I’ve been keeping up with treatments and stuff, just didn’t realize it’d been so long.” 

The other three demigods nod in understanding, very relieved to hear that Nico’s been okay. When they reach the Mess Hall, Connor and Annabeth break away to sit at their respective tables and the sons of the Big Three start eating. Nico looks around the pavilion and frowns when he can’t find the two children of Apollo he actually knows. 

“Have either of you seen Will or Kayla?” asks Nico. 

“Kayla had to get back to the infirmary, not sure about Will though,” Jason replies.

“Yeah, I don’t think I’ve seen Will this past week either. I’m guessing he’s either in the infirmary or his cabin,” Percy affirms. 

Nico frowns at that, realizing that Will hadn’t been at his cabin earlier. Does he hate me? Why would Kayla come instead of Will? Maybe he just got sick of my shit. Forcing himself to stop his spiral, Nico tries to respond without sounding too disappointed, “Oh, okay.”

Percy looks like he wants to speak, opening his mouth before snapping it closed. Nico instantly overanalyzes this, why won’t he just say it? That Will got sick of me?  

The son of Poseidon carefully picks his words, “I’m not gonna air Will’s business, but the reason he’s gone doesn’t have anything to do with you or whatever you think you did wrong. You should talk to him, though,”  

The three continue eating in relative silence, with an occasional quip here or there. In fact, the entire pavilion feels quieter than it normally does. Nico notices that quite a few people are absent, but he chalks it up to the fact that he’s eating breakfast a bit later than most. Before he can overthink it, his attention is ripped away from the Mess Hall to a loud argument approaching.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Kayla! Just leave it be! I’m going already, just leave it!”

“Well gods forbid I worry about my brother when he works himself into the ground!”

Nico quickly identifies the voices as Will Solace and Kayla Knowles. 

There’s his answer about where they are. 

“I’m not a baby, and I don’t wanna listen to your shit anymore! Oh wait, I don’t need to!” Will snaps at Kayla, ripping off his CIs.

“Are you fucking kidding me? I swear you’re a literal toddler sometimes!” Kayla yells out of anger, ignoring the fact Will couldn’t hear her. 

She runs to get in front of Will, and angrily taps his shoulder and starts signing. At this point, the entire Hall is dead silent, eavesdropping on the most drama that’s happened all week. The only sound is Kayla’s angry signing as her hands slap against each other and her muttering as she mouths along. Will is trying his best to use his hand to obscure Kayla from his view, occasionally returning a sharply signed response as he keeps storming towards the cabins. 

Against Percy and Jason’s advice, Nico follows behind the two. Even with the boost of the built in motors of his wheels, he still lags quite a bit behind as he furiously pushes himself behind the two children of Apollo. He stops when they arrive at their cabin and Nico is in the center near the hearth. 

Will yells over Kayla’s signing, “Leave me alone already! I’m out of the infirmary, just let me sleep for fuck’s sake!” and slams the door closed. 

Kayla sighs in frustration. She turns to walk away when she nearly runs into Nico, who’s staring at the Apollo cabin still.

“I’m sorry I shouldn’t have followed that was definitely an invasion of pr—”

“It’s fine, you’re our friend and you were worried. Sorry you had to see all of that. I’d be surprised if the whole damn camp didn’t hear that. It’s just… it’s been hard for Will lately,” Kayla explains vaguely. 

Chiron and Mr. D approach the two demigods at the hearth, Chiron speaks sternly, “Care to explain what’s going on?”

“It’s August 17th,” Kayla responds, the two immortals nod empathetically and walk back towards the Mess Hall. She turns back to talk to Nico, “He needs some time to cool off. I really pissed him off when I was trying to get him out of the infirmary. Do your morning treatments then come back. Better you than anybody else.”

Nico obliges to the recommendation, not wanting to upset the son of Apollo even more. He heads back to his cabin to see Jason and Percy already there and setting up their routines. I must have missed them walking past us.  

“You still good to do treatments?” Percy asks.

“Yeah, I’m just going to talk to Will after,” Nico nods, then starts his treatments, “What’s up with August 17th?”

Percy grimaces at the question, “Tomorrow’s my birthday. Manhattan was a year ago.”

Nico face palms, I can’t believe I lost track of the dates so much that I forgot about the extremely traumatizing war from last year. He knew that Will became one of the youngest Head Counselors in the middle of it and that his cabin had suffered the most losses. Of course it would be hard this time of year. I can’t believe I completely missed that.  

He then replies, “Shit, I can’t believe I forgot. Time was passing so weirdly for me last year, Underworld time and all.”

Percy hums sympathetically, “I wasn’t planning on celebrating my birthday this year or anything, it’s easy to lose track of time. But yeah, you should talk to Will,” 

The three boys finish their morning routines in relative quiet, the sound of medical equipment dominating the room. Nico tries to think about what he’s going to say to Will. Hey, sorry I fell off the face of the Earth for a week and you’re having a trauma-tastic time right now, but I’m here now! Nonetheless, he makes his way towards the Apollo cabin to see a doorbell with a sign reading “Ring for Will” in three different languages. He pushes the button, the lights flicker, and he hears Will shout.

“I told you to go away, Kayla! I’m resting like you told me!” 

Nico opens the door to see Will laying on his bed facing the wall. His implants are thrown on his nightstand, which is covered in water bottles and granola bar wrappers. At the foot of his bed is a bookshelf adorned with meticulously organized knickknacks and books. On the side of it, two pristine golden bows and quivers are hung. 

There’s frames with photos of campers that Nico can’t identify and what appears to be Will’s mortal family. Off the edge of the bed, Will’s own generic bow and quiver and field medic kit is hanging. Nico approaches the clump under the blankets that he assumes is Will and rests his elbows on the bed frame. After a moment, he gently shakes the bed. 

“ What do you want Kay— oh, Nico. Hi,” Will quickly changes his tone when he registers the son of Hades in front of him, he reaches for his nightstand, “Let me just put these on, I think you’re the only voice that won’t piss me off more right now.”

Nico hums, “Mind if I sit next to you? Leaning over your bed is hurting my back.”

Will nods and pats the bed, sitting up with his back leaning against the wall. Nico gets settled next to him. Unlike Nico’s cabin, Will’s has a lot of bunks. So his bed is only a twin XL size as opposed to Nico’s full sized bed, which is a head counselor upgrade that it’s a standalone bed and not a bunk. They sit in silence for a few moments. Nico stares at the blonde boy. His curls are slightly frizzy as if he just woke up, which directly contradicts his tired blue eyes that look like he hasn’t slept in days. Despite all of that, there’s still a soft, warm presence radiating from the boy.

“Sorry you had to see my tantrum. Kayla just really gets to me when she babies me like that. Like yes, I know what I’m doing to myself and why I’m doing it. So just let me be! At least I’m self-aware,” Will says in an increasingly exacerbated tone, “And honestly?! I just need people to choose: Am I supposed to be the goddamn invincible healer or poor helpless Will Solace who can’t take care of himself?!”

“It’s okay, I think you’re allowed to get mad,” Nico responds, “Figuring out people sucks.”

“Plus I was worried about you. I’m not mad at you, but I hated that I couldn’t find you for a week— the hardest week of the year for me— and then Kayla comes waltzing in and tells me you’re having a meltdown in your cabin, but physically blocks me from leaving to help you! Like why even tell me then?!” Will adds.

“I’m sorry I disappeared. I was making my Underworld class and completely lost track of time. I was probably in the Underworld whenever you came by to check. My father gave me some things so I can travel there without using my powers and to make sure I eat full meals. I should have been more considerate about worrying people. A bunch of people really laid it into me this morning,” Nico explains, “Connor uh… he explained to me what autism is. The update is that I’m pretty sure I’m autistic.”

“Thanks for telling me, I’m glad you’re okay. And yeah, maybe in the future leave a note or something when you go to the Underworld? It’s really hard for me when I don’t know where the people I care about are,” Will responds, “I appreciate your apology a lot. Kayla and Austin always just tell me I worry too much.”

“I’ll try my best to leave some sign of life, or tell people where I’m going. I don’t want to hurt you again.”

“I’m autistic too, by the way. I had a feeling you are too, but didn’t know how to bring it up. So I just… didn’t. I’m sorry. Connor’s always been good at explaining that to people. I really gotta seriously recruit the guy to the infirmary, I swear.”

“Wait, really? I had no clue.” 

“I’m just good at masking, hiding autistic traits. And most of my behaviors that could be perceived as autistic, I can play off as being a good Head Healer, being Deaf, or having ADHD. It’s a blessing and a curse.”

“Why do you mask so much?”

“Camp used to be a lot different when I first got here. I was a young kid who never had to mask before because of the way Deaf culture is so blunt. My only divine gift that mattered to anyone was healing, and people didn’t trust me because I couldn’t socialize well enough. They’d literally ask for any healer besides me. It felt awful… I felt awful.”

“I can imagine.” 

“So I started trying to hide my stimming, copy how Lee would interact with people, keep quiet about my special interests, stuff like that. And people stopped babying me and started trusting my healing skills. I guess even though it’s different now, I just still feel anxious about all of it. Kind of like shitty internalized leftovers, you know?”

Nico nods, it makes sense. His first worry when he started using his wheelchair was people not respecting his skill anymore. Will is in a similar position: he has a highly specialized power that others at camp don’t get anywhere near in matching, of course he has the same worries as Nico. 

 Will looks over at his bookshelf with a sad expression, starts fidgeting with his bracelets, and continues to speak, “I uh… I can’t mask very well when my mental health is worse. Anniversaries are… hard for me.”

Talk about something I understand, Nico quips to himself. 

On the anniversary of Bianca’s death, he wallowed by the River Styx for days without leaving his makeshift tent. It was so bad that his father sent Charon to check on him. Everything just felt so miserable and he felt like he was just aimlessly floating along. He got snapped out of it when he was poofed into the palace for a “completely non-conspicuous” family dinner with Hades and Persephone. Nico knew that his father had ulterior motives when Persephone said something vaguely nice to him— she would never do that unless Hades told her to be civil. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Nico offers, remembering back to all the times Will has comforted him. 

“It’s just Manhattan stuff. I thought I would be able to handle it better, but obviously I haven’t been. I… I just miss them a lot,” Will starts to explain, “I’ve been spending every moment I’m not in the infirmary just obsessively organizing and reorganizing my bookshelf. Most of what’s on it used to belong to other people or are gifts. It makes me feel more connected to them, but it’s hard to remember that I can’t see them again.”

Will gets up and pulls up a chair in front of his bookshelf and motions for Nico to follow. He begins to point at each of the objects and tells the story of each of them. 

“These photos are from before the Labyrinth, I found them in Michael’s things when I was cleaning out his bunk. I had no idea that he ever took them, but they’re my favorite photos of us all.”

“The bows are Lee’s and Michael’s, they were planning to go to the next Olympics. I used to joke that using dad’s gift was cheating, but they swore up and down that mortals should just be better.” 

“Most of the books are from Lee, he used to take notes in the margins with anything he read and swore that it made it more manageable with his dyslexia. Personally, it makes the words swim even more for me. The ones that aren’t his are from my mom, she sends me a few books for every season.”

“These bronze statues are from Beckendorf. He made them for me as toys because I came here when I was so young. He felt bad there wasn’t anything for me here and wanted me to feel like I belonged. They used to move around too, like tiny automatons, but they stopped working a while ago because I played with them so much.”

“Silena and Luke made me those beaded necklaces and friendship bracelets when they taught me how to make them on my first day here. For the longest time, I wasn’t allowed to be around weapons because I was so little. But Silena and Luke always knew how to show me new fun things to do.”

“My older sister Lila, she died in battle, made me this pop-up book when I first got here. I loved it so much, it was the first Ancient Greek book I got. I made her read it to me everyday. It’s kid-friendly versions of poems about Greek myths.”

Nico listens patiently as Will tells the story of each item. The blonde boy’s voice cracks occasionally, but Nico can’t help but relish in hearing how much history each object has. How much history that Will has.

As Will finishes telling about the last item, he keeps talking, “I don’t know why I told you all of that. I guess it makes me feel less alone in remembering them. Kayla and Austin barely got to know any of them, since they got here the summer the final battle happened. I just… I’ve really been missing them lately…”

“They’re in Elysium. I’m sure you knew that, but I’ve talked to most of them over the past week. They’re doing well, they ask about how you’re doing whenever I visit. Lee says that he’s proud of you, and that he wishes you would be kinder to yourself. And Michael talks about feeling sorry for making you grow up so fast, but that he knows you’re the only person he would trust with it all. They all miss you a lot too.” Nico replies. 

He’s not ever really sure what to tell people about this. Sometimes people say they want to know and sometimes it’s the worst thing he could say. Nico has never been good at reading what people want to hear like that, he just hopes that Will doesn’t get too mad at him.

Nico continues, “I don’t know if that helps you, but they don’t blame you at all. They all seem really proud of you. It can be hard to be left with so many questions and what-ifs with death. Gods know that messed me up for a miserable like… six months. I just needed to know what she was thinking and where she was, so hopefully that can help you too.”

“It does help a lot, I appreciate it a lot. I get so caught up sometimes with what I don’t know that I forget all the good and what I do know,” Will thanks Nico, “I should probably apologize to Kayla for being an asshole this whole week. You’re lucky you didn’t see me, honestly.”

“I think she understands, she shooed away Chiron and Mr. D earlier. But, apologies never hurt,” replies Nico.

Will moves back to sit on his bed, rearranging pillows so it functions more like a couch. He motions for Nico to join him, which Nico happily obliges again. They chat for a while, catching each other up on their past week. Will’s been catching up on paperwork, researching Nico’s symptoms and getting closer to an answer, and checking the Hades cabin for Nico. 

Will yawns, “I’m exhausted as hell, I’m going to take a nap before I try to go out again. You can stay if you want, though.” 

Nico agrees to stay. The son of Apollo puts his CIs in their charging case and curls up on his makeshift couch-bed. Nico tentatively places his hand on Will’s head, playing with his hair as the boy relaxes into a peaceful sleep. It's like the stress of the past week is being wiped away. The longer Nico sits watching Will, the more tired he becomes. Slowly, he is lulled to sleep. The last thing he remembers feeling is the warm, comfortable aura of the blonde and the gentle sound of trees rustling in the breeze.

Chapter Text

“Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on people and animals throughout the land” - Exodus 9:8-9

Nico wakes to a dreamscape memory of a humid Monday morning. He's laying in a hidden corner of a playground in the middle of the Little Italy neighborhood. Nico would recognize this day anywhere. He almost died, anyway. 

He originally traveled here in hopes of finding somewhere that feels like home but is further from the grasp of the gods before the inevitable war when Percy turns sixteen next year. Hence, he ended up in Chicago. He has been enjoying it for the most part. A few local restaurant owners have taken pity on him, offering him food most days and the occasional shower or restaurant booth to crash on. By all means, it’s much better than his… previous arrangements with Minos. 

And it’s not like I have anything better to go to.

However, a few issues have recently arisen: One; it’s September, which means the weather violently swings from nearly freezing to unbearably hot temperatures every other day. Two;  Little Italy is right by a large university and a hospital, so the traffic in the area has increased significantly with the start of the semester and flu season. Three; it’s been storming in the middle of the night, meaning that Nico wakes up shivering and everything he owns soaking wet. 

All of this to say that Nico’s been sick for the past week. He started out feeling a little stuffy with the occasional cough, manageable enough that he was still able to get around to find food and steal supplies from CVS. Then, he had a run in with some spirits that got their gross spirit smoke in him when he killed them. Which leads to Nico’s current state: Miserably sick for days now, completely alone, and too weak to leave the park.

He had fallen asleep on a bench in the park earlier in the day, hoping that the sun would warm him up. Even though it was around 80°F and he was wrapped up in two jackets and a blanket, he was shivering violently. Nico briefly woke up and he felt like his skin might melt off, and quickly stripped off his layers before passing out again. 

When he woke up again, he made his way to where he is now in the shade of the playground. Nico reaches into his pocket to see only pathetic crumbs of ambrosia left, not like I could’ve had any without burning up . So here he is in a feverish daze, sick as a dog, dipping in and out of consciousness.

The elementary school lets out and some kids around his age come by and make fun of him, kicking him a few times for good measure. They get scared off pretty quickly when Nico starts coughing so violently that he ends up having to lean over the side of the structure to throw up. He faintly hears the kids shout about him being disgusting, but he can’t focus on that right now on account of his stomach doing flips as he coughs uncontrollably. When he finally stops, he wipes the thick snot streaming down his face with his sleeve and passes out. 

He wakes up again to see a group of four teenagers wearing uniforms from the nearby high school staring at him. Nico tries his best to look awake and focus on them, but knows he still looks pathetic considering he barely has enough energy to cover his mouth as he coughs. 

“You good?” a boy with shoulder length twists asks.

He opens his mouth to respond to the teens but the sun makes him sneeze, which sends him into a coughing fit that ends with him vomiting off the edge of the playground structure yet again. A girl with split dyed hair hands him a napkin from her bag and feels his forehead, her eyes widening with concern. 

“Are you alone here?” the same boy asks.

Nico nods in response and gratefully takes the napkin. He wipes the snot off his face from his runny nose and tries to blow his nose, but is too congested for it to do anything and ends up just hacking up mucus. 

“Do you have somewhere to go?” The same girl follows up.

The boy shakes his head and points to the pile of his things next to him. The movement makes his head spin, and he leans over just before the bile leaves his mouth. Another napkin is placed in his hand that he uses to wipe his mouth.

At that, they seem to telepathically communicate and a couple of the teenagers climb down the playground and run away while two stay with him. The ones that stay with him hand him an empty grocery bag, explaining it’s for if he has to throw up again. Gods, I’m so gross right now. 

The boy gives him Gatorade to sip on and some plain crackers he has left over from lunch so he has something to bring up other than bile. The teens who spoke earlier introduce themselves as Maddy and Eric and the others who ran off being Elias and Christine, they explain the others ran to the nearest drug store. 

“Tell more,” Nico croaks in a horribly congested voice between wet coughs, “Need distraction.”

Maddy and Eric tell the boy about their day, the rigor of their high school, their favorite places in the neighborhood, their families’ roots in Chicago going back generations to the industrial days of the city. The stories weave into Nico’s feverish brain, feeling comforted as he imagines what kind of stories he could hold if he could only remember them. For a fleeting moment, he feels less sick. 

As Elias and Christine return with two Walgreens bags in tow, Nico starts violently hacking and gagging into the grocery bag. Maddy rubs his back, while Christine ties his sweaty hair back into a ponytail. As he heavily breathes into the bag in nauseous anticipation after multiple more rounds of getting sick, the teens anxiously talk to each other.

“We can’t just leave him here!”

“He obviously doesn’t want to be found, what if our help fucks him over more?”

“The caseworkers are going to kill us if they catch wind of this.”

“He’s going to actually die out here! It’s supposed to get cold again soon!”

“We have to take him in, we’ll say he’s a cousin visiting from out of town if anybody asks. Agreed?”

“Aight.”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

Nico lifts his head up to see the four teens staring at him. He feels so disgusting. It feels like some kind of joke that demigods aren’t supposed to be able to get sick, yet here he is . 

You’re cursed as always. Bianca deserved to live more than you do. She wouldn’t be a weak failure to our Father.

“We all live together in an independent living apartment complex a few blocks from here, come stay with us until you feel better. Please?” Maddy begs. 

Nico is too weak to disagree. He attempts to get up but is immediately overwhelmed with dizziness and falls back down. 

“I’ll carry you, kid.” Elias offers, handing Nico a fresh plastic bag and scooping him up bridal style.

On the short walk to their apartment, Nico makes them stop as he chokes on his own breath so he can throw up into the gutter three separate times. It’s bad enough you're burdening them, you can’t puke on them too . Nico silently prays to any god that will listen that he’ll either die quickly or get well soon— whichever is easier. 

When they arrive, they set Nico on their couch and set a five gallon bucket lined with a plastic bag next to him. Maddy sets out the supplies they bought for Nico on the coffee table and gives him a dose of flu medicine. Eric emerges from the bathroom with multiple half-empty pill bottles of leftover antibiotics and a thermometer. He sticks the thermometer in the boy’s mouth. Nico can’t muster the energy to protest any of it. 

“Shit, his temperature is 104.7! Get ice packs!” 

Nico passes out before the ice packs arrive.

The next days pass in a blur. The teens take shifts staying with Nico, strategically missing classes so that the son of Hades is never alone. Nico doesn’t get much better. He’s still horribly congested with a high fever and can barely keep down anything, only getting up from the couch when he manages to stumble to the bathroom to get sick. Nearly every moment he’s awake is occupied with pained coughing and retching, and he can't even process what's playing on the TV in front of him. When Saturday comes, Nico wakes up to a new face with curly brown hair and green scrubs entering the apartment. 

“This is Aditya, he’s studying medicine and can help you. He just aged out a couple years back, but he’s a genius that already passed his boards so he’s basically a doctor. Please, kid,” Maddy explains. 

The son of Hades weakly agrees as Aditya approaches where the four teens are huddled around him in the living room. Nico lays on the couch where his ill sounds continue now that he’s awake. The teens explain Nico's condition and the doctor grows increasingly concerned as he carefully observes the boy. 

It takes nearly an hour for them to explain because they are interrupted by multiple different sneezing fits that leaves Nico uncontrollably heaving as he coughs up the ungodly amount of mucus choking him. Eric informs Aditya that they’ve needed to buy two more buckets because of the frequency of fits like this. I hate that they've had to spend even more on me . As soon as Aditya feels Nico’s forehead, his eyes widen and he orders all the teens to leave the apartment. 

Nico’s internal danger alarms are blaring, but it’s not like he can get up without puking right now. He tries to reach for his sword, which he has sheathed in a cloaking device he stole from a shady department in the Macy's on State Street. Aditya effortlessly stops him with one hand as he rifles through his bag with the other to grab something that Nico can’t identify without leaning over and making himself dizzier. 

“I should introduce myself properly now. My name is Aditya Krishna, son of Apollo and former Head Healer of Camp Half-Blood, and I could feel the ichor in your body,” he states, fishing out a baggie with ambrosia and vials of nectar. “Who is your parent? And I thought demigods couldn’t get this sick?”

“Hades,” Nico coughs weakly before continuing, “Shitty exception.”

“You really drew the short straw there, sorry kid. I’m going to use my powers to bring your fever down, then give you ambrosia and nectar to help. Hopefully, it’ll get you well enough that their mortal remedies will start working for you. I know going to a doctor wasn't an option, but you're really sick and should’ve been hospitalized before Christine even found you from the looks of it. My reading says this is a really bad flu that turned into pneumonia. Someone or something must really have it out for you, because I can feel some kind of magic involved with this,” Aditya explains as Nico nods along.

The doctor closes his eyes and hovers his hands over Nico’s body. His hands start to faintly glow, as the doctor grabs the air over Nico’s stomach and pulls up towards his mouth repeatedly. On his final movement, he clasps his hands into fists and pushes them towards the open window. Instantly, Nico’s chills start to dissipate. Unfortunately, the sudden change makes him break into another coughing and gagging fit. Aditya shoves the bucket into Nico’s lap and rubs his back to use his powers to break up the mucus in his lungs. At the loud sounds of the boy getting sick, the teens anxiously come rushing back in and Aditya quickly removes his hand.

“Chill guys, I know it sounds bad but he should be okay soon enough,” says Aditya while mixing together a vial of nectar and Pepto-Bismol, “Kid, I need you to drink this… mixture, then eat this uh… oat square? Because you need something in your stomach to take the medicine… yeah.”

Nico tries to laugh at Aditya’s mortal-friendly explanation of godly foods, but ends up hacking up more phlegm. He groans and blows his nose, tossing the tissue into the already-soiled bucket. He then tips back the cup of nectar and scarfs down the ambrosia, unable to taste either due to his congestion. Immediately, he feels his nausea ebb to a more manageable level and the gurgling in his chest slightly subsides. 

“I need the bathroom. Aditya?” Nico asks, the doctor immediately agreeing and helping Nico to the bathroom. When they get there, Nico speaks again, “It’s working.”

Aditya smiles, “Great! I’m going to leave you with some ambrosia and nectar. Take it in moderation, only as needed, and only when your fever is below 101. Ready to go back out?”

Nico nods, flushing the toilet to avoid mortal suspicions. He still needs the doctor’s help to make it back to the living room and flops back onto the couch afflicted with another coughing fit. At least I’m sitting up and not puking divine foods . When he finally stops he tries to blow his still-stuffy nose, leans his head on Eric’s shoulder, and rests his eyes. 

“You feeling better, kid?” Eric asks.

“Mmm yeah, Aditya fixed me all good” Nico tiredly mumbles, not convincing the teens as he coughs more.

“He’s got a really bad flu bug that caused pneumonia. I brought down his fever to a more manageable level so he could tolerate the medicine I gave him. Hopefully he’ll be able to keep more food and meds down now, too. His cough will worsen while he gets all the fluid out of his lungs. It’ll sound bad, but he’s okay as long as the cough stays productive. You guys might want to give him Mucinex or run a steamy shower to help him breathe. If his fever spikes or he can’t hold anything down again, call me,” Aditya tells the teens. At that, he whispers to Nico in Ancient Greek a standing invitation to IM him and leaves. 

True to Aditya’s predictions, Nico’s cough gets worse over the next few days. He can't hold a conversation without it ending with him choking on phlegm and is still just as congested as before; however, his fever hovers around a much safer 100.5°F with meds, he’s able to stay awake for longer stretches of time, and he keeps down most of his meals. 

The teens finally feel comfortable leaving him alone for the school day. They leave a landline next to him with instructions to call the second he gets worse and insist that he stays until his cough is more under control. As sick as Nico still feels, he can’t help but like how it feels to be cared for after spending so much time alone. 

It’s a quiet Thursday morning when two flashes of light appear in front of Nico’s sickbed, waking him up. He opens his eyes to see none other than Hades and Apollo standing in the dingy apartment living room. All three beings flinch in shock when they see each other.

“Niccolò Matteone! I have not been able to reach you for two weeks when Lord Apollo tells me he sensed that you were gravely ill!” Hades scolds worriedly. 

“Sorry, I’ve been too sick to answer,” Nico apologizes in a horribly congested voice, still struggling to speak as he coughs into a tissue, “I’m fine now.”

“You are certainly not fine.” Hades insists, “Lord Apollo?”

Apollo feels Nico’s forehead, “101.6°F fever, a nasty strand of Influenza A, and a severe case of viral pneumonia. But he is on the mend after my son Aditya’s been here to help, that kid's always had strong plague and healing powers. He has a hell of a productive cough and is badly congested, but you don’t need to be me to figure that out. Caught the flu by being exposed to it, but some bitter nosoi that escalated it to the point of pneumonia and made it non-communicable in the process. Kinda off brand for them, but it's best not to question them. It was also worsened by him being outside for the first week he was sick, he’s on week three of being sick now.” 

“On the mend. I’m fine,” Nico hoarsely asserts. 

At that moment, his body decides to betray him and he’s hit with a sneezing fit that causes him to double over hacking mucus into a fistful of tissues. Nico keeps choking on the fluid in his lungs until his stomach churns and he starts to retch. He promptly grabs the bucket and loses his breakfast— much to the disgust of his father. 

After more unrelenting wet coughs and heaving, the immortals worry that the end of the fit is nowhere near. Apollo places his hand on the boy's back. Immediately, his lungs relax and his stomach settles, allowing him to finally breathe. Nico thickly sniffs as he wipes his nose and coughs up some more phlegm, tossing the used tissues into the soiled bucket and looking up to see two very distressed immortals. 

“I’m fine,” Nico croaks, taking a sip of Gatorade.

“Not fine!” Apollo and Hades exclaim in unison. 

“We are going to my palace now ,” declares Hades.

“Wait,” Nico rasps, “I need to leave a note. They took good care of me.” 

“Quickly, I will repay them accordingly,” the Lord of the Dead replies.

“Maddy, Eric, Elias, and Christine,

Thank you so much for everything— taking care of me, putting up with my grossness, finding me in the first place, Everything. My father found out I was sick after I didn't answer for two weeks and showed up here. He's taking me to my cousin, the family doctor, then to his home to rest. I am safe. Your kindness won’t be forgotten. Here’s some cash to make up for it, courtesy of my father. [$4000 in cash clipped to the paper]

Sincerely,
Nico di Angelo, the sick kid on your couch

(P.S. Tell Aditya that his dad came by to visit me and to IM me sometime)”

Chapter Text

Nico wakes up with the phantom feeling of the illness lingering in his lungs. With the memory of the dream fresh in his mind, his brain reminds him of countless other times he's been ridiculously sick. He coughs for a minute, becoming painfully aware that the rattling that once left him bedridden is now his normal after this last quest. After a couple puffs of his inhaler, he feels his chest relax as Will Solace sits up and puts on his CIs. 

Will sleepily rubs his eyes, “Yanno, you shake the bed almost as much as my alarm does when you cough?”

“Sorry, I tried not to wake you,” Nico grimaces, “Did you sleep okay?”

Will stretches, trying to look more awake, “It's aight. I don't mind waking up to you, di Angelo. And yeah, it was good. No dreams. Did you sleep at all?”

It takes the son of Hades a minute to consider his options. Tell the truth and end up admitting I almost definitely know Will’s brother and have met his dad at least twice and have been healed by both of them but just couldn't remember? Lie and say nothing happened? Can Will feel past healers’ work like Apollo can?

“Yeah I did, I had a weird dream,” Nico responds, earning a raised eyebrow from Will. 

Something about being here with him makes me want to tell him.

He continues to explain, “Memory I forgot about, not that bad though, from the September after the Labyrinth fell. I was living in a park in Chicago and got really sick after a nosoi attack. Some teens took me in, took care of me, and called their doctor friend who I'm pretty sure was your brother Aditya. He used his powers and I got a little bit better. Then, my father and your dad poofed into the room and kidnapped me to the Underworld to get better because they were freaked out when I coughed until I puked.”

Much to Nico's surprise, the blonde boy lets out a beautifully hearty laugh, “Let me get this straight. You ran into deadly plague spirits and survived, happened to meet the only other known living child of Apollo besides me with healing powers strong enough to work, and then scared the god of plagues and the god of the dead with a little barf? And you completely forgot about it until now?”

Nico laughs along, “Well when you put it like that… yeah.”

“That story's exactly what I needed to make today better. It’s always nice to hear about the gods being humbled a little. For a dude that's all about shadows, you sure do know how to brighten my day!” Will exclaims before his smile dissipates, “I suppose I need to be a real person now. Unfortunate.” 

The two make their way out of the Apollo cabin towards the Mess Hall where lunch is being served. Will detours to talk to Kayla and they sign to each other for several minutes, when the interaction ends with a hug Nico assumes Will has apologized and they’ve made up. At that, Will sits down next to Nico at the Big Three Table, Percy and Jason waving and continuing their banter.

“Do either of you ever get sick?” Nico interrupts the two. 

“No, not that I remember,” replies Jason.

“Like, normal sick? A few times a year, but that’s only ‘cause my lungs make it easier for me to catch stuff. It’d be more if my mom and stepdad weren’t so careful about it, prolly. Usually, my breathing just gets worse and I get a low-grade fever,” Percy answers, “Why?”

“I had a dream that was a memory of a time a couple years back when I caught the flu and it was pretty bad. It reminded me of a bunch of other times I got really sick. Was wondering if it was just me or not,” Nico explains.

Percy shakes his head, “Yeah no, never like that. Don’t get me wrong, my lungs give me problems all the time with smoke and weather and stuff, but I don’t get sick like that. Me getting sick is basically just a flare for me.” 

“Not just, your flares are still pretty bad, Percy. But I was wondering that too, Nico. We usually don’t get sick from bugs, and if they do it’s super mild and goes away within a day or two. Serious illness only happens once or twice a lifetime— maybe . But from what I can tell, Nico, you’ve always gotten sick often and severely. It’s concerning to say the least,” Will thinks aloud, “It might be a good idea to talk to Chiron about it, only if you want to of course.”

“Sure, but I can also try to call your brother or dad. Both of them always answered me pretty fast before communications went down,” offers Nico.

“...You have an open line of communication with my father, the god Phoebus Apollo, and never bothered to mention it?” Will deadpans.

“You never asked?” Nico tries to defend himself.

Will throws his hands in the air, “Why in the world would I have asked?! That’s not something I assume people just have, we literally fought wars about how uninvolved they are!”

Nico holds his hands up in surrender, “Apollo just likes fixing me to keep my father happy in an effort to repay his sister's debt. And also he likes teasing me for always getting hurt or sick. Percy is basically best friends with Hermes!”

“What?!” Will and Jason exclaim, “Explain now.”

Percy shrugs, “Prophecy kid stuff, I was his closest tie to Luke in the end. He held out hope for him for a long time. Plus, George and Martha like me. I dunno why, though.”

“Anyways, want me to ask him to come by? I don't remember him ever doing a full scan of me, it might help you out,” Nico pivots the conversation back on topic. 

Will agrees, still in shock of this news, and Nico walks over to the bronze brazier and gives an offering to Apollo. Hey, Nico here. Need some help with health stuff, I had a dream about what happened in Chicago. Not dying, at least I don’t think so. At that, Nico gets settled back at the table and finishes his lunch. 

“All three of you owe me a checkup, by the way. Just because I disappeared for a week doesn't mean you get out of it,” Will jokes with the table, “But seriously, do y'all have time after lunch?”

The boys agree, knowing better than to test Will's patience with medical things. They finish up lunch and head to the infirmary. Wanting to continue their conversation, the three decide to do their checkups together, squishing into the singular private suite the infirmary has. 

Jason's check up goes by quickly, having a more straightforward health situation that basically consists of pacing himself appropriately, with no major changes to routines. He mentions how helping Annabeth gave him a multi-day migraine last week. At that, Percy elbows the son of Jupiter and scolds him for playing it down previously. Will reminds him that cognitive strain is part of needing to pace himself. 

Will then moves onto Percy, who seems a bit too familiar with the routine of the medic’s check up procedures. Will holds two fingers on Percy’s wrist scanning vitals, “Lungs?” Will asks.

“Worse than before the War but better than when I first got back and couldn’t breathe at all. I still get winded a lot, been coughing enough that Annabeth sleeps in her own cabin, and can’t skip any treatments without feeling like shit. But eh, expected with the Pit’s air combined with having to rely only on inhalers I happened to have in my pocket when Hera kidnapped me. Then the medbay only had enough stuff for absolute emergencies, so I had to ration everything. Leo tried to build me something for PEP, but it couldn’t do much. I get that it’s easy for people to forget I’m chronically ill, but it sucked to finally be back and then not have anything I needed. New routine’s been helping, though,” replies Percy.

“It definitely makes sense that your lungs have been strained, even though it sucks that it could've been prevented. I'll make sure to drill into people here about quest prep moving forward and to give you extras of everything. Getting your lungs to bounce back won’t be instant, but it sounds like the treatment plan is working. Also, Chiron said the fires will be charmed to be smokeless within the next week. Pain levels?”

“Back’s the same, hurts but manageable. My chest’s been hurting like a motherfucker, but I know that there’s nothing I can do about that really.”

“I can try talking to my dad about that again, maybe he’ll change his mind this time. I know he has non-addictive painkillers that actually work. Mental?”

“Fuckin’ abyssmal. This last quest really messed me up. The PTSD’s been going wild and putting everything else into overdrive. Meds have been keeping the nightmares away, only wake up because of COPD-related interruptions. But I’m still getting panic attacks at least 4 or 5 times a week. It’s made me anxious as shit, like something’s always gonna be next, which makes me depressed as shit too. Support system here’s as fucked as I am and stuff with Annabeth is still weird. But, I’m coping as decently as I can. I’m getting out of my cabin, socializing, not missing any meals, all that good stuff for the brain.”

Nico looks at Percy with mutual understanding and offers him an awkward pat on the knee. It’s still strange to him to really see that the older boy struggles in such a similar way that he does. And to just openly admit all of that in such a casual tone? Percy wasn’t lying when he said that the two are more similar than either want to admit. Nico admires that Percy feels comfortable enough to say it how it is, maybe it’s the New Yorker bluntness in him. 

Will sighs empathetically, “You know that I need to safety check you, right?”

Percy nods, “I don’t have it in me to care.”

“Have you engaged in self-injurious behaviors recently?”

“Nothing intentionally or outside of my normal ADHD recklessness. I’ve managed to stay clean. I’ve wanted to most days since the Pit, though.”

“Have you had suicidal thoughts over the past two months? If so, how frequently and do you have a plan?”

“Yes. It was occasional passive ideation, but it’s become more active and on a daily basis since I returned from Downstairs. No real plan or means, though.”

“Have you acted on these thoughts?”

Percy’s silence answers the question in itself. Nico is stunned that the son of Poseidon was in the same spot he was during the last quest. It logically makes sense. He’s been to Hell and back. Nico knows better than anybody else, except maybe Annabeth. Yet still, it’s another thing to have it laid out in front of him: they both tried to kill themselves on the quest.  

“I let poison drown me on the quest knowing I could’ve stopped it,” Percy finally responds, “Jason saved my ass in my own father’s domain. It was pathetic and impulsive of me. But, I’m not at risk of acting on the thoughts again.”

“It's not pathetic to be suicidal and it doesn't make you a lesser demigod to struggle. Try to come here or press your call button if you relapse or you're feeling worse. We’re here for you,” Will replies, handing the son of Poseidon a booklet with handmade thread binding, “This is a Mad Mapping zine I found this year that I translated into Ancient Greek. You’re supposed to fill it out when you’re feeling good. It can be with friends, alone, writing, drawing, or whatever feels best. The point is that you have a toolkit for navigating when shit hits the fan. To get an idea of different ways you can address your different needs.” 

“I don’t know if I ever actually feel good these days,” Percy confesses.

“That’s okay. Work on it the best you can, whenever you can manage. I can give you a new one if it feels wrong later on,” offers Will.

“Okay,” Percy agrees, fidgeting with his hands, “Can we move on now?”

“Of course. Any last questions?” Will asks. 

“Not for me, but I think the Acapella that I was given might help Nico too? I think we have similar stuff going on and it was a game changer for me,” Percy recalls, “But that’s it, yeah. Sorry to kill the mood, guys.”

“Noted, and don’t worry about it. I asked the questions, anyways,” Will responds. 

“Talking about stuff isn’t killing the mood. It takes a lot to open up. Plus, we care that you’re here,” says Jason, Nico nodding in agreement. 

“I uh… I think that one of those booklets might be good for me too,” Nico nervously admits. Turning the attention to me is the least I can do for him right now.

“Of course! I was hoping you’d ask. It’s been a helpful tool for me, at least,” Will replies, “I guess we can start with a mental health check. Tell me about how you’ve been since we last talked. Any symptoms that have come up or reduced, how you’re feeling, things like that.”

“I’ve still been getting flashbacks and panic attacks, but less than before. No actual nightmares that I can remember as long as I take my meds. I think I’ve still been the normal amount of anxious? I think I’ve been depressed still but a little less? I don’t know. Sorry,” Nico tries to answer, fidgeting with his sleeves.

“No need to be sorry, I should have been more clear. Do you think more structured questions like I asked Percy would be better? And are you sure you’re okay with this check being in front of Percy and Jason?” Will asks, Nico nodding in agreement to both.

“Do you ever experience feeling like your hands or feet are tingly when you’re nervous? Or a sense of disconnect from the world? About how often if so?”

“Yes to both. Whenever I have panic attacks, like a few times a week?”

“Do you feel guilty, alone, or generally down more often than not?”

“I think yes to all?”

“Have you had thoughts of hurting yourself and have you acted on them?”

“Yes, and I think yes? I can’t tell how on purpose it is. Sometimes it just happens.”

“If you’ve had them, how often have you experienced suicidal thoughts in the past two months and do you have a plan to carry out these thoughts?”

“Most days, maybe everyday? No plan.”

“Have you acted on them in the past two months?”

“Maybe? It was on the quest. Transporting the statue. My father warned me that if I kept going it’d kill me, and I just… didn’t care if I died. And I kept going.”

“Last question, can you tell me about your support system?”

“I guess I have you? You've been really good to me, and I like spending time with you. Jason and Percy have been great obviously, I mean we're all here right now. Connor Stoll has been really nice, too. Hazel and Reyna, but they’re far away. My father has been trying more recently. But that’s it.”

“Thank you for being so vulnerable. I recommend sharing all of this with Mr. D since he’ll be your therapist. I can help you do that, if you’d like. I have no reason to think that you’re an imminent risk to yourself or others, so I think that just seeking out help when things get bad and working to find healthy coping mechanisms will be the best for now. Sounds good?” Will asks, concluding the mental health portion of the check up. 

Nico nods, he’s beyond appreciative of how much care Will takes when dealing with him. It makes him even more attractive. Nico is about to open his mouth to respond when a flash of golden light fills the room and Apollo appears next to his son. 

“Heard my favorite son of Hades needed some divine input?” the god quips, letting a small tinge of worry shine through his voice.

“Yeah, I had a dream about when I was sick there— I forgot about how bad it was until now. Woke up and realized how messed up my lungs are after Gaea because it feels like it did then and I’ve had a similar gross cough like that for months. Figured it’d make my father happy to get checked out,” Nico responds. 

“Whoa! Hi Dad! I diagnosed Nico with chronic bronchitis and asthma. I’ve had him on the standard meds regimen, which has been working decently. But, I’m probably going to add in PEP therapy too, since his cough is still fairly uncontrolled,” Will pipes up, “Also, his joints frequently dislocate and he gets dizzy a lot. We’ve been managing it mostly with bracing and mobility aids.”

“Will! My favorite little healer— don’t tell Adi I said that. You’re always on top of it, kid. Good job. Did Nico tell you about Chicago?” Apollo asks, Will smiling at the praise. 

“Vaguely. Nosoi, really sick, you and Hades panicking about it?” Will summarizes.

The immortal turns to Nico, “You seriously underplayed it that much?”

Nico shrugs, “Details didn’t matter.”

“I swear, the kid had one foot on Charon’s boat,” Apollo begins to recount, much to the horror of the other three demigods, “He had Influenza A that nosoi messed with and turned into pneumonia. His fever hovered around 103 for a week straight and he had some of the worst congestion I’ve seen. He basically couldn’t breathe, couldn’t keep anything down long enough for mortal medicine to work, and was barely conscious. He got marginally better after Adi did some healing and started keeping down food thanks to divine food. Was coughing himself sick for another week until Hades and I found him, still sick as a dog, and brought him to the Underworld. Took a week for him to stop puking, and another two weeks after that until the congestion and cough went away. And that’s after I did everything I could.” 

“How the fuck are you alive?!” Percy exclaims, expressing what Jason and Will are definitely thinking. Nico shrugs and waves them off. 

“I don’t know, and I’m the god of knowledge! Nosoi are no joke, my powers can barely touch their plagues. It’s more lessening symptoms than killing the germs,” Apollo responds.

“Anyways, Will and I were curious if you knew other demigods that got really sick like me? Chicago was worse than most other times, but I get knocked out for at least a couple weeks when I get sick. And I’ve been getting sick at least 5 or 6 times a year for as long as I can remember,” Nico explains. 

“It’s rare, but it happens. It hasn't happened a lot because of the oath and how behind mortal medicine is. Usually, it occurs only when the most powerful of demigods have some kind of immune system issue that’s comorbid from a severe chronic health condition. And that's only sometimes. Like Percy doesn't catch stuff the way that you do really, even though he has pretty severe respiratory issues too. It has to do with needing balance on the godly side and being more vulnerable to illness due to mortal conditions, which sounds about right for you,” Apollo replies, “Ready for the scan? Lay down for me.” 

The god hovers his hands above Nico’s body, slowly moving to each part of the boy’s body. He pauses every few seconds to take notes. Will and Jason look on in awe, the entire process being much slower than they’d expect such a divine power to be. Will is carefully studying his father’s movements, hoping to strengthen his own skills. After nearly thirty minutes, the god steps back and helps the son of Hades back to sitting position. 

Apollo flips through his notepad and begins to monologue, “First, I’m affirming Will’s diagnoses of chronic bronchitis and asthma. Spot on as always, not to brag but he gets it from his dad. You have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a genetic disorder affecting your connective tissue. Doctors are weird about it these days, but I’ve seen this in demigods for as long as humans have been around. The other main issue I saw was a form of dysautonomia, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. I’ll supply some divine symptom management for the EDS and POTS, since mortal treatments are still behind, but Will has your lungs covered. They’re all chronic, but not terminal. But, I have a feeling I’m just giving you words for what you’ve felt for years.”

“Yeah, uh, you’re right. Most of my life I’ve been sick or in pain. It’s nice to know that it’s real and I’m not just being dramatic. It’s nice to have an answer, it’s just a lot,” Nico responds.

“That’s the thing my friend had, POTS! I knew it! I could basically be your son with how skilled I am, you know?” Percy jokes with Apollo before turning to Nico, “But Nico, I’m glad you have answers. I know it can feel overwhelming, Apollo did the same diagnosis overload thing to me when my dad made him give me a full scan too.”

“And we’ll keep working towards managing your symptoms, together. I was starting to suspect EDS and POTS from my research and from treating other campers, so I have some ideas. You’re not alone in this,” Will comforts the son of Hades.

“One more thing. It doesn’t have an exact mortal name yet, but I clearly felt something going on with your immune system. For now, we’re just saying you’re immunocompromised. It means you get sick a lot easier and a lot more severely than others. I’d advise staying up to date on vaccines and wearing a mask if you’re going into a crowded place or medical facility in the mortal world. You should be fine anywhere demigod or divine, since diseases work differently in our world,” adds Apollo.

“And I’m guessing you’re going to tell my father all of this?” Nico asks

“Pretty sure he already knows. He’s been trying to keep track of your health ever since the whole Chicago ordeal. Obviously there’s been some schism interruptions,” Apollo answers. 

“Oh boy,” Nico dryly responds, knowing he’ll be getting a visit from his father soon. 

“Well, I oughta get going. It’s always sunrise somewhere!” the immortal exclaims, “And Will? You’re doing such good work here. I’m proud of you. I give each of you kids your gifts with meaning. You just need to find them. Also check your bunk later, I have a few things to give you. Call on me sometime, love ya kiddo.”

With that, the god vanishes with another flash of light. 

“...Am I the only one who hasn’t been personally attended to by Apollo?” Jason asks.

“Shut up Jason ‘Patron of Hera’ Grace,” Percy retorts. 

“You know some of us are just demigods? And that’s it. We live our silly little lives, we don’t go on death defying quests, and then we die. No godly besties or patronage involved,” Will quips along.

“You just wish you had the lore we have,” Nico jokes.

“Yes, it’s definitely jealousy I have,” Will sarcastically replies, then pivoting his tone to a more sincere one, “Two more questions left, Nico. The breathing treatments, braces, mobility aids, and nighttime meds working okay? I’ll give you an Acapella too, use it in the morning after your inhaler and additionally as needed.” 

“Yeah it’s all working,” Nico replies, “And sounds good.”

“No flare ups? Things like worsening of symptoms, new symptoms, starting to get sick, stuff like that.” 

“I think everybody would know if that was happening. Evidently from your dad’s exposé of me, I physically lack the ability to be subtle when it comes to that stuff. Everybody will know when that happens,” Nico laughs, “And no questions. Can we be done now?”

The other two sons of the Big Three earnestly nod in agreement. As fine as this time has been, they still do all have ADHD and are rapidly getting antsy from being in the same place.

“Okay, okay. I get it. Let’s go get a treat,” Will grins, “Rumor has it that the Stolls are getting back with a hijacked ice cream truck any minute now.”

Chapter Text

Will helps Nico push his chair through the grass while he leads Jason and Percy to a tucked away clearing near the magical border. Various senior campers, most of which Nico recognizes from the meeting last week, are sprawled around the field chatting. Jason and Percy find their partners and join them.

“Hey! Look who’s back to the land of the living!” exclaims Kayla.

She runs towards Will and Nico, hugging her brother and ruffling his hair as three other demigods trail behind her. Nico knows he’s seen them around, but couldn’t place their names for the life of him. 

A boy with cornrows starts to speak, “Is this who you’ve been all broody about and nonstop talki—”

“Shut up, Austin!” Will cuts off the boy, changing the topic and pointing at each of the demigods. “Nico, you know my sister Kayla. This is my brother, Austin; Lou Ellen, Head Counselor of Hecate; and Cecil, a Hermes senior camper. Unfortunately, they’re all my friends and family.”

“Hey! You love us!” Lou Ellen argues, “Cecil, where are your brothers? I was promised the good mortal ice cream.”

“The Stolls don’t even know where the Stolls are. They’ll get here when they do,” Cecil shrugs, “Nico, tell us about how you captured the attention of our son, Will Solace.”

“Tell us your deepest, darkest secrets,” Austin adds.

“And your intentions with Will!” exclaims Lou Ellen. 

“I’m older than all of you! You don’t need to answer them, Nico. Don’t interrogate him, I can have friends other than y’all and you can be normal about it I promise,” Will asserts.

“Sure we can, but not when Mr. Always-Up-With-the-Sun takes a midday nap after storming out of the infirmary and having the world’s loudest argument through all of camp, only to emerge from our cabin hours later with a certain son of Hades,” Austin teases back.

“I’m Deaf! How could I have known it was that loud?” Will argues, earning a skeptical look from everyone, “Okay I might have had my CIs in but still. It wasn’t that bad, right?”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night. But Nico, the deets,” Cecil redirects the conversation.

Nico hesitates as he anxiously fidgets with his ring, “Uh… I don’t know. He made me go to the infirmary and hasn’t gotten sick of me? Secret uh… If you find any giant cracks in the ground around here, I probably caused them? Intentions, I just think he’s nice and caring and a good friend?” 

And also he’s gorgeous, always knows the right moves to help me and being around him makes me feel so warm, and that I’m in love with his ASL stories and all the histories he holds and I would be satisfied if I could just listen to them forever. Nico decides to keep that part to himself, not exactly wanting to confess all of that in front of a bunch of strangers. 

“Nico’s a good guy, I think he passes the test,” states Kayla, the other three demigods nodding in agreement. 

Much to Nico’s relief, it’s at that moment that the Stoll brothers come barreling over the magical border in an ice cream truck, music blaring, and wildly laughing. They haphazardly park the truck and swing open the side window.

“Come and get it! We’re fully stocked!” 

The campers rush towards the ordering window. Nico, Will, and Cecil decide to wait for the crowd to die down first, lounging in the sun. 

“How the fuck did they leave camp, get an entire ice cream truck in the middle of nowhere, and get it all the way here without being caught?” Nico asks, shocked by the heist. 

“Never question Travis and Connor’s philanthropic ways, just be grateful,” Will responds.

“The real answer? They’re both wildly powerful. Most of the Hermes cabin has one or two of our dad’s domains shown in their powers, they each have almost all of them covered. Even after they got claimed, I heard that people theorized they were actually sons of Aphrodite because they’re so cunning it mimics charmspeak or sons of Hephaestus because of how good they are with locks, traps, and vehicles,” Cecil explains.

Nico’s totally shocked, he would’ve never guessed. Then again, it’s not like he’s ever seen the Stoll brothers in battle really. Glimpses, yes, but never in depth.

Cecil keeps elaborating, “Travis also got linguistic gifts, so he can understand any language and only takes a couple weeks to get fluent. Meanwhile, Connor got navigation gifts. So it’s literally impossible for him to get lost on land, he has a photographic memory of any spaces he’s been in, and he has a general sense for the realms people are in. They usually avoid showing off their powers at full force, but it’s damn impressive. The only other demigod that could’ve pulled off half of what they get away with was maybe Luke, maybe .”

“Holy shit,” Nico vocalizes what the rest of the demigods are thinking, as evidenced by their agape mouths, “I had no clue.”

Cecil clicks his tongue, “That’s the point, they don’t want people to know. They want to still be trusted. Being a powerful Hermes kid makes people weird about you— especially when a brother of yours goes AWOL and raises a Titan. But they’ve been year-round campers for years, and also the only non-twin siblings, for a reason. Also, you didn’t hear any of this from me.”

“Why are you telling us this, then?” asks Nico. 

“Will already knows because he’s the Head Healer and has to keep track of everyone’s powers. And for the past week, I’ve watched Connor spend every free moment he has worrying about you. Also the not free moments too. He told me about how you helped him through a bad meltdown, not a lot of people are able to do that. I can tell you’re important to him and I’m happy you’re his friend. I guess I don’t want you to get freaked out by his powers and leave him like people have before. Don’t want my brother getting hurt more, you know?” Cecil explains.

“You’re worried that I, Nico di Angelo who raises the dead and can send souls straight to the Underworld, will be scared off by Connor’s powers?” Nico questions dryly.

“Okay well when you say it like that I sound ridiculous,” Cecil facepalms, realizing he’s talking to two other extremely powerful demigods, “Point still stands. You hurt him, you get our cabin’s wrath.”

Nico raises his hands in defense, “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t do that. He’s the best poker partner I’ve had in decades, can’t lose that,” 

Plus he’s more likely to get sick of me before I would ever get sick of him. 

“Looks like the line died down, let’s get ice cream and not interrogate our new friends,” Will interjects.

The three approach the ice cream truck to see the Stoll brothers counting a mix of drachma and mortal money. Immediately, Nico is overwhelmed by the options on the side of the truck. Since when did ice cream look like that and when did they get so many flavors? 

“Can I get a cotton candy popsicle?” Cecil orders.

“That’s one drachma or $2,” Travis responds. 

“How about I don’t tell Chiron you were the one who reorganized all of his music by how fuckable you think the album cover is and you give me the damn popsicle?” Cecil counters, which Travis quickly agrees to. 

“Can I get a Dreamsicle?” Will asks.

“Gotcha! One Dreamsicle coming up for our favorite healer!” Travis exclaims.

“Hey! Why didn’t you charge him?” Cecil complains. 

“Never get on the bad side of the guy who fixes all your fuck ups and is on the immortals’ good side. Head Healers always get a discount,” Travis replies, “di Angelo?”

Nico nervously scratches his arm as he looks at the menu, still just as overwhelmed as before. What do any of these even taste like? I don’t have a way to pay for this. Why do all of these have so much stuff on them? His rising anxiety is cut off by the voice of Connor Stoll.

“Here, it’s a Spongebob ice cream bar. It’s fruit punch and cotton candy flavored and the eyes are gumballs. It’s an American ice cream truck classic, he’s a character from a TV show, I think you’ll like it,” Connor explains as he hands the treat to Nico, “On the house for our favorite son of Hades, of course!”

“Seriously?! Why do you want to take my money so badly?” Cecil protests. 

Connor and Travis smirk, “Family tax.”

Nico laughs, “Thanks for the ice cream, Connor. You wanna join us?” 

Connor looks at his brother who waves him on, the younger eagerly jumping out of the window with an ice cream cone in hand. The four boys get settled by Kayla, Lou Ellen, and Austin. The group chatters, each person jumping around the different overlapping conversations taking place.

“I’ve missed mortal ice cream so much, this is the best heist you’ve had I swear,” Lou Ellen compliments as she eats a pink ice cream bar, “The magic copies just aren’t the same.”

“Thank you, thank you. We take heist requests for pay in the form of drachmas, mortal money, and favors,” Connor grins, turning to Nico, “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about your shadow travel, I’ve been scheming for when you want in.”

“Connor, please don’t make Nico commit crimes and risk dissolving into the shadows for a prank,” Will pleads. 

Nico waves off Will, “I’ve stolen way more than you want to believe. And I won’t do it for now, but short jumps to the city are nothing for me. I accidentally ended up in China when I was first learning. Knocked me out for a while, but I was fine.”

“Fine, but can it wait until we get your health more stabilized now that we know what’s going on? Then I swear, I’ll help you both pull it off myself. No more power restrictions besides keeping yourself alive and well,” requests Will.

“You’re not keeping the restrictions? You’re not gonna freak out again when I start using them?” Nico excitedly asks. 

“What? No! Of course not. It’d be really fucked up of me to think you’ll never use your powers again. I just don’t want you to literally die trying to use them. Honestly, you should start using them in moderation now, just don’t push it so much that you lose consciousness,” Will replies without hesitation, “Because of my dad’s help, I’ll probably completely lift the restrictions within the next two weeks. Did you really think that I was freaked out by your powers and would take them from you?”

“I don’t know. My powers creep out most people, I wouldn’t blame you,” answers Nico.

The healer carefully chooses his next words, “I think that our powers are part of what makes us who we are, and that we all have a lot of beauty within us. The gods handcrafted us and chose our gifts out of love, even if it doesn’t always feel like it. I’m not creeped out by your powers, I think they’re really cool.”

“Damn, Solace. Looks like you have something going on up in that dome. Or maybe it’s just because…” Austin jokes, wiggling his eyebrows.

Will shoves his brother, “Oh shut it, I have plenty of thoughts thank you very much.”

The group keeps lightly bantering and Connor brings out a stash of sodas he got during his escapades to share. At some point Jason, Percy, Annabeth, and Piper join them as well. Nico feels like he’s in the right place, like he made the right decision when he told Chiron he’s staying. It feels so normal. At this moment, they aren’t a bunch of two-time war survivors, they’re just any other kid with their friends at camp. The summer sun shines down on Nico and warms his soul. His attention is brought back to the circle of demigods when Percy dramatically flops like a starfish.

“Ughhh, I don’t wanna go to the counselor meeting after dinner!” Percy groans. 

“Seaweed Brain, it’s literally going to be an hour. You’ll live,” Annabeth replies.

“No I won’t. This is it for me. Rest in Peace Perseus Jackson, killed by responsibility. The dress code for my funeral is blue,” he continues his melodramatics. 

“Perce, all you have to do is agree to Capture the Flag teams and tell Chiron your plans for the school year. You, Jason, and Nico objectively have the least responsibility with this one,” Annabeth rolls her eyes. 

“The P in Percy stands for pain. I just wanna rot in my cabin for the night,” he replies, keeping up his lighthearted tone and earning a laugh from the group. 

“Wait, we have a meeting today? I have to be there too, don’t I?” Nico asks.

Percy sits up and faces the son of Hades, “Yeah, the weekly counselor meeting. I’ve tried so many times to get the one member cabins out of them because it’s like 2 minutes of anything that applies to us and then the other 58 minutes being multi-member cabins problems.”

“Sounds horrible, why do we need to do it?” Nico grimaces.

“Because Chiron says we’re ‘vital parts of camp’ and it’s ‘important that we’re included in decision making’ or something like that,” Percy replies with sarcastic air quotes. 

“Oh nooo! You’re both being valued, the horrors!” Piper interjects.

Before Nico can keep complaining, his attention is drawn to some movement in the sky. It looks almost like a bird, or maybe a butterfly, but its flight pattern looks off. Nico’s staring draws the attention of the rest of the group, who quickly join him in staring at the fluttering object. It ends up crash landing in front of Nico’s wheelchair. Will hands it to the son of Hades. It’s a scroll of sorts with a mechanism attached that has dilapidated wings. Nico unravels it. 

A flickering hologram pops up of Leo Valdez and a crackly, distorted version of his voice plays, “Hey, guys!” Sorry to leave you like that. Bad news: I died. Good news: I got better! I had to go rescue Calypso. We’re both fine now. We’re taking Festus to— Back as soon as— Cook segueza de hongos when— ¡Ve con los dioses! Love ya!”

“What the fuck? Got better?!” Cecil exclaims, properly representing the emotions of everyone in the clearing. 

“Wait Nico, did you know he wasn’t actually dead?” asks Kayla.

“Well you know, he did plan this…” Piper trails off.

Nico’s anxiety grows as the conversation continues with increasing confusion. It seems to keep redirecting back to him. You are your father’s son. But he’s at a complete loss for words. For once, he has no idea what to make of a death. Can it even be called a death? The pressure within him grows, he feels like he needs to speak but that there’s nothing right to say. He shrinks into himself, tempted to shadow travel out of there, and his legs begin bouncing. 

Percy raises his hand, slightly shaking, “Can we shelf this until the meeting? I can’t think about this right now,” he cuts off the conversation. 

At that, Nico’s anxiety ebbs and he flashes the son of Poseidon a grateful smile. Percy probably asked for his own sake, since talking about Leo has been difficult on the whole Argo crew. But, Nico can’t help but be thankful that Percy’s assertiveness is working in his favor. 

“Agreed. It’s not productive to talk about it twice. Plus, it’s almost time for supper and most of us have cabins to wrangle,” Will states, effectively ending the conversation. And once again being the best Healer ever. 

Most of the group begins to make their way back to the main area of camp. Nico, Percy, Will, and Connor lag behind with the silent agreement to let the demigods of the quest calm down more before moving. Nico closes his eyes and moves his hand up and down in front of his body, he’s always returned to this old conducting movement for comfort. He lets the breeze run through his fingers, the coolness grounding him. When he opens his eyes, he sees Percy sitting up, looking much better as well.

“Y’all want a ride back?” Connor asks the group, peering over to his older brother who flashes a thumbs up of approval.

“Sure,” Percy replies, Nico and Will nodding in agreement. 

The four pile into the truck with Travis. Will uses some rope to secure Nico’s chair to the floor, but still offers Nico his arm to hold onto if he’d like. 

“This is just like old times,” Will jokes to the brothers, “My first Winter Solstice? All of us piled into a car.”

“Hey! At least I have a sense of direction!” Connor shouts back over the music playing. At the same time, Travis turns around in the front seat and signs something to Will.

Will replies in ASL, the sharpness of his movements say it’s serious but his facial expressions are still lighthearted. 

“Luke didn’t drive like it’s Tokyo Drift! I’d rather be lost than have whiplash!” Travis tells his brother after Will finishes signing, jokingly shoving him as he drives. The truck jerks and Will signs something else, Travis interprets, “See, told ya!”

“Hey! No fair you two are signing behind my back. I’m not getting the full picture of the debate now. I’ll argue with you in any language, divine gifts be damned, and I’ll win! I’m a better driver than Luke was on that solstice, hands down!” Connor shouts over his shoulder.

Travis rolls his eyes, “Connor, you couldn’t beat Will in an argument in English, let alone ASL. Be real with yourself.” 

Connor grumbles something under his breath and goes back to focusing on driving. Despite the slight hitch in the journey, the rest of the drive back to camp goes quite smoothly. He parks behind the Hephaestus cabin and helps the other demigods out of the truck. 

“We agreed to share custody with Jake and Nyssa as long as they make a gasoline-free fuel source for it and keep it working. In exchange, we keep it stocked and they eat free,” Connor explains, “Plus, Chiron and Mr. D both have a sweet tooth, so they’re probably not going to make us get rid of it.”

Travis breaks away to wrangle his cabin while the other four demigods make their way to the dining hall. Much to Nico’s surprise, Connor sits at the Big Three table as well. Won’t that piss off Chiron and Mr. D? Not wanting to jinx it, he decides not to question it. They happily eat their meals, which Will explains is a cabbage-based pancake called okonomiyaki. Nico’s and Percy’s has tofu folded into it, while the rest of the table has pork. They chat about their weeks, Nico eagerly infodumping about all the spirits he’s been talking to. The dining hall begins to clear until only the Head Counselors remain. 

“Meeting starts in 5 minutes, do not be late,” Mr. D announces as he gets up to leave. 

At that, Nico and Percy take their post-dinner meds and the table heads towards the Big House. When they enter the Rec Room, it’s back to its normal set up with messily set up chairs around the ping pong table. Jason moves a chair to a corner of the room to make space for Nico’s wheelchair. As he gets settled, he winces at the memory of the nightmare he had last week— it feels eerily familiar. 

Each counselor begins to report out how many of their siblings intend to stay for the academic year and minor issues that have arisen. Percy gives the most non-response saying “whatever the wind wills” when asked about his plans. It’s announced that Capture the Flag will be taking place next week, as to allow enough time for any injuries that may occur to be fully healed before returning to school, and the counselors spend even more time arguing about the team balancing. Something about if it’d be fair for all three sons of the Big Three to team together or not, unsurprisingly not including them in the conversation at all. Percy really wasn’t lying when he said none of this applies to us. 

“These conversations can continue among yourselves. I believe there’s other more pressing news that arrived this afternoon?” Chiron effectively pivots the conversation, “Nico?” 

He nods and reaches into his pocket to pull out the scroll, playing it again. When it ends, the room bursts into chaos. Nico tries to subtly cover his ears, not wanting a repeat of this morning. Especially not in front of everybody. He glances over to Percy, who also appears to be withdrawing from the yelling. 

“Enough!” Mr. D booms, “You’re all giving me a headache. Talk normally or I’ll turn you into dolphins.”

“Leo planned this. He was searching for the Physician’s cure to resurrect himself, I guess it worked. We didn’t bring it up before, but he told Hazel and Frank beforehand,” Percy explains.

“I felt him die, but I couldn’t sense where he was in the Underworld. It felt off. I didn’t mention it because I didn’t want to get anybody’s hopes up. Apparently he ‘got better’ though,” Nico adds. 

“Well it sounds like that’s all we know. All we can do is hope that he returns safely, apparently with Calypso as well. Unless there’s anything else of substance to add, this meeting is adjourned,” Chiron concludes the meeting, knowing any other conversation about the topic will devolve into more chaos. 

Nico waits for the room to clear before he starts to head towards his cabin for the night, the phantom feeling of Leo’s not-death looming in his head.

Chapter Text

Nico gets back to his cabin and flops onto his bed, realizing how exhausting the day has been for him. While he enjoys being with all of his friends, it was a lot to spend all day with people. Well, except for Will, Nico always feels more energized after spending time with him. Wait, they are your friends, right? Not just pitying you? 

Not having the energy to go down that spiral, Nico starts his night time routine early. Noting the lingering tightness in his chest, he decides to do a breathing treatment and try the Acapella device. As Nico is coughing up some of what’s stuck in his lungs, he hears a knock at his door and sees Will Solace approach his bed with a duffle bag in hand.

“Looks like the Acapella is doing its job. I know it’s not the most fun, but it’ll help you breathe a lot better. Anyways, I come bearing gifts from my dad!” Will cheerily says. 

“How many times am I supposed to use this?” Nico asks.

“The annoying actual answer is until you feel like your lungs are clear enough. But I’d recommend using it for at least 10 minutes each time, ideally it’s more like 30 minutes though,” Will explains, “I know it can make people feel worse to cough so much, so that’s why I won’t ask you to push it unless you’re flaring and need it. Do you think you can pay attention to what I have for you while you finish your treatment or nah?”

Nico nods, “I think I can, yeah.”

As Nico continues his treatment, Will begins to monologue, “Sweet, just let me know if you need me to stop or to repeat something. Anyways, my dad dropped off a bag full of different meds straight from Olympus. The pills and elixirs are just the same thing in different forms, but the salves are different. The temperature regulation salve is good for your POTS because heat and cold can be a huge trigger, rub it on your arms or neck to be the most effective. Make sense?”

Nico gives a thumbs up. 

“The pain salve is for when a joint hurts more than usual. There’s a set of pills and elixirs for pain here too, but they’re for more generalized pain management. This other set’s for your POTS. They help remind your brain to regulate your blood flow so that you don’t feel as dizzy every time you get up or walk around. Your POTS is pretty bad from what I’ve seen, even though you don’t fully pass out, and I recommend adding it to your morning routine. Any questions?” Will concludes. 

“Why do you have a whole duffel bag if there’s only six different things?” Nico asks as he finishes his breathing treatments for the night and swallows an anti-nightmare pill. 

Will shrugs, “My dad gets eager when he gets to be involved, better too much than not enough. Plus it seems like he likes you.”

 “Makes sense. I’m guessing I should start carrying these with me too?” Nico asks.

“Spot on! I brought you a pill case to make it a little easier, though,” Will grins, “Also just a heads up: these aren’t going to cure you and they aren’t perfect. They’re just more effective than what mortal medicine has to offer right now.”

“Didn’t expect a cure,” Nico yawns, “I think I’m going to go to bed now. I’m exhausted.”

Will warmly smiles, “Sweet dreams, Nico.”

That night, he has a peacefully dreamless sleep. Well, until Hades decided it was time for a father-son chat. The gods don’t abide by mortal sleep schedules, as evidenced by Apollo’s long-standing tradition of waking up his children with his latest experimental music creation at the crack of dawn. Nico opens his eyes to see Hades hovering over him as he lays on the uncomfortable, hard floor of the palace throne room. He groans at a sharp pain in his shoulder, which he realizes is dislocated, and pops it back into place. 

Shit, I guess I am actually here and awake, not just dreaming.

“I deal with very few livings these days, but I do not remember that noise being normal, Niccolò!” Hades worriedly chides.

Nico quickly rises to a kneel, trying to ignore the black spots dancing across his vision and his heart beginning to race. Damn, Solace wasn't lying when he said my POTS is bad. 

Trying to keep his composure he speaks, “Hello, Father.”

“You may rise, son.” 

Nico stumbles as he tries to stand up, pain flaring up his legs and his heart rate increasing even more. This is why I don’t try to walk without my braces anymore. He heavily breathes, finally standing. 

“Or sit! Please,” Hades quickly says, summoning a chair behind Nico and swearing under his breath in an ancient language, “I did not realize your health has declined so much since I last saw you awake without schism interferences.”

Nico gratefully takes a seat, sighing in relief as his symptoms quickly subside, “I didn’t intend for you to find out if I could help it. What did Apollo tell you?”

“Only that he was going to Camp to give you a scan. He is not an easy god to get ahold of during the summer,” Hades replies, “Would you mind telling me the results?”

Knowing that it isn’t really a choice, Nico begins to explain, “Chronic bronchitis, asthma, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and immunocompromised. The first two means I can’t breathe right and I have a cough sort of like I did in Chicago, but all the time. The EDS is what caused the noise my shoulder made earlier when it was dislocated, and also it causes all my joint pain. The POTS is why I almost just blacked out, it makes me dizzy and my heart races when I do stuff that triggers it, like standing. The last one means I get sick a lot easier. Not dying though, but none of it can be cured.”

Hades shakes his head, disappointed in himself, “ Mia cara Maria, what have I missed in the past year to have not seen this earlier?”

“A trip to Tartarus and almost killing myself on the Seven’s quest,” Nico deadpans. 

“What? I must have misheard you. Mortals do not survive that,” Hades gapes.

Nico holds back his urge to roll his eyes, “Yes, Tartarus. I think that made everything else go into overdrive because my health has been miles worse since then, that’s why it’s more noticeable now.”

“What is being done to address this? Surely Apollo did not just tell you what is wrong and leave. If he did, I need to have a talk with him and perhaps his son too,” Hades threateningly ponders aloud. 

“No no no please don’t!” Nico exclaims before detailing all the treatments and mobility aids he has received so far, “It’s the middle of the night right now. I didn’t have my braces on and no meds in me, so that’s why I was struggling to stand earlier.”

“Noted, I will attempt to be more aware of the hour when I summon you. We do not do… time like that here,” his father replies, as if the demigod wasn’t painfully aware of that. 

Nico hesitates, “You know, if you want to you can come visit me in the morning when I do my treatments? So you can see what’s going on. Just give me a heads up so I know to do treatments alone that day.”

“Perhaps I will. Well, I suppose I should allow you to sleep. I will ensure you do not have any dreams. I will see you soon, Niccolò,” Hades responds, poofing Nico back to his bed in Cabin 13. 

Despite the interruption, Nico wakes up the next morning feeling well rested. After getting ready, he heads to breakfast where he sees Will, Percy, and Jason eating already. He sets his crutches down at his feet and joins them. They’re talking about their nights, apparently they had hung out at Pollux’s cabin after Nico had gone to bed. Will explains that he came by to tell Nico about the parties that Pollux hosts for the counselors the evening after most meetings, but forgot to because Nico was so exhausted after going over his new meds. 

“No worries. My father poofed me into his palace last night,” Nico responds, earning a curious look from the table, “He wanted to know what was up with my health. Ironic, considering he woke me up in the middle of the night. One of these days, he might drop by to see my morning routine. He just likes knowing what’s going on with me,”

“You’re dad is not a fan of me. I can’t believe he’s breaking up the Big Three Boys by caring for his son, fucked up,” Percy jokes. 

“Yeah… I’ll also avoid your cabin that day, no offense but if he has an opinion of me anything like he does about Thalia? I don’t wanna find out,” Jason shudders. 

“I told him to give me a warning, figured you guys would wanna be somewhere else. He can be a little… brash when it comes to his brothers’ kids. I’m working on that,” Nico replies.

Suddenly, Nico faintly smells grapes. He turns and sees Mr. D standing at the table and staring daggers into him. 

“Nico, we have an appointment. Meet me in the Big House after your morning treatments,” the god of wine states before turning to sit at his usual table once again. 

Nico groans, he had completely forgotten he committed to trying therapy with Mr. D. But, he’s probably already pushing the god’s patience being over a week late of when they originally said their first session would be. 

“Therapy with him isn’t that bad. Plus, he actually lets it show that he likes you,” Percy says, “He’s been making me meet with him for years, my first session since getting back is this afternoon.”

“I’m seconding Percy, he’s really helpful. Like, half of his job is being the camp therapist, but it’s by ominous Mr. D invite only. AKA he senses that you’re Mad enough to concern him. Mad like the political term, not the shitty way,” Will adds.

“Mad?” Jason asks. 

“Yeah, it’s sort of another word for mentally ill? But it’s meant to take away the idea that it needs a cure and to address all the historical and social contexts in the mortal world. It started as an activism movement to challenge how mortal medicine approached mental health with the idea of actually valuing Mad people when it comes to treatments,” Will explains, “I like the term because it feels less like there’s something wrong with me that needs fixing, Mr. D likes that it feels truer to how his domains were originally defined.”

“I think I like that too,” Nico comments, “Can you tell me more?”

Will beams, flapping his hands as he can’t contain his excitement, “Yes! Everybody else here got sick of my rants about this!”

He continues to talk about the Mad Pride movement and the history of Mad Studies, adding some facts about Mr. D’s opinions that Nico is pretty sure not in the mortal accounts of things. Nico listens intently, enjoying seeing how happy Will is to have somebody to talk to about it. 

Is this one of the special interests he made himself stop talking about? 

Nico smiles, occasionally interjecting with questions to affirm that he’s still interested. Jason and Percy are also listening, impressed with how much the son of Apollo knows about the topic. At one point, Pollux overhears the conversation and sits down at the table, joining with just as much excitement as Will has. Eventually, the whole pavilion clears, leaving only their table left as the harpies clean the other tables. 

“Hey Will, I want to hear more but I think we gotta get going,” Percy interrupts, wincing as he rubs his chest.

“Oh shit, yeah. I’m sorry I got carried away. Let’s go,” Will replies.

“Nothing to be sorry about, we just have to change scenery,” Percy reassures Will. 

“Yeah, I need to get going too. But I wanna hear more too. I like hearing about what you like. Pollux, you can come too if you don’t get grossed out by me coughing up shit,” offers Nico. 

“Sure, I’ll come along. You feeling alright, though? I don’t wanna impose if you’re not feeling well. I can infodump with Will another time,” Pollux replies.

“No worries, I’m feeling alright,” Nico promises, looking at Percy for confirmation that his invitation is okay. 

Percy interjects, “We've got some of the same lung shit going on. It’s normal for us to feel kinda crappy in the morning. Nothing to worry about, I promise. It can just sometimes be alarming to watch if you don’t have a warning.”

Pollux nods and the group starts heading towards Nico’s cabin. It’s become a silent agreement that since Nico’s cabin is the most accessible and it’d be most annoying for him to figure out moving around all his meds, Big Three Boys mornings happen in Cabin 13. Plus, Jason’s cabin looks like a freaky shrine and Percy doesn’t like letting people see how messy his cabin is. 

The five get settled and Will continues chatting with Pollux. Will tosses back the same handful of pills Nico remembers seeing him take last week. Nico remembers the new meds that Apollo gave him, and takes out one of each pill and swallows them before starting to set up his nebulizer. 

Percy gives him a quizzical look, “Apollo’s new meds?” 

“Yeah, one for pain and one for POTS. He also gave me some salves for more specific pain management and temperature regulation. I’m hoping I can start sparring again soon, I really miss it,” Nico replies. 

“Ugh yeah. I never thought I’d miss sparring, but I’m starting to. Like, I survived the quest, but I can’t do any fighting that isn’t just pure instincts. I'm still just getting way too winded way too fast,” Percy agrees.

Will interjects, “You just gotta stop going at full force when you spar. If you actually pace yourself, I'd okay it.”

Percy melodramatically groans, “But it's boring like that!”

“Well cheers to that,” Nico says, clinking his mouthpiece against Percy’s as they start their treatments. 

Percy turns on some music, saying something about it being too quiet for him to focus right now. Nico doesn’t argue, since he can still clearly hear what Will and Pollux are talking about— they seem to be talking about something called mirror neurons now. 

As the first part of their breathing treatments end, Percy speaks up, “I need to do the Acapella part for 30 minutes, what about you?”

“Same yeah, but apparently I can get away with 10 minutes. I’ll set a timer for 30 minutes for us,” replies Nico, then turning to Pollux, “Now is the gross part, and double loud because it’s both of us.”

“Not gross, just part of your chronic illnesses,” Will reminds Nico. 

The two boys continue their breathing treatments, Jason having finished his morning routine and joining Will and Pollux. Nico feels a little bad, like he’s interrupting the flow of the conversation with his coughing. Every once in awhile Will rubs Nico’s back, breaking his hyperfocus to whisper to Nico. 

Even if he can’t reply or fully focus on what Will’s saying, Nico still appreciates feeling included. The timer goes off and Nico lies down on the floor, his lungs feeling much better but feeling tired from how much energy it took him to cough for so long. Will moves closer to Nico and offers his lap as a pillow, which Nico gladly accepts. 

“You get more used to it eventually, took me awhile to not get exhausted too. You should probably start with like… half the time,” Percy reassures Nico.

“Always trying to impress, Death Boy. You can rest for like 30 minutes until you gotta get going to see Mr. D,” says Will.

Nico closes his eyes, listening to the conversation between the four other demigods. He stays awake, but it feels nice to be able to relax before starting his day. The warmth of Will radiating off of him as he speaks and the faint smells of strawberries, ozone, and salt mixing together, and the soft sounds of Percy’s music makes his cabin feel so homely. As he relishes in the feeling, Nico feels at peace.

Chapter Text

Far too soon for his liking, Will gently shakes Nico awake and informs him it’s been a half hour. The healer helps him sit up, and Nico is pleasantly surprised that he doesn’t get too dizzy. Feeling much more energized    but not wanting to push himself too much, Nico opts for his wheelchair and heads towards the Big House where Mr. D is waiting on the porch. 

“Sorry for being so late, I was tired after the new treatment I started,” Nico apologizes.

“No need to apologize, my next appointment isn’t until the afternoon. Let’s go to my office, it’s on the first floor,” Mr. D waves off Nico, leading him through the maze of hallways to his office. As they walk, Mr. D talks about how all the information Nico discloses in sessions is private, since he has no mortal parents there’s no exceptions to it, and that they’ll figure out what works best for Nico if he needs more help later down the line. 

When they arrive, it’s not the office that Nico remembers from when he first got to camp. This one feels more like the final war debrief, with a couch and bean bag sitting across from a chair and a coffee table covered in fidget toys with a box of tissues. The lighting is dimmed and the windows are covered with a blue cellophane. Nico grunts as he transfers himself to the couch, feeling his hip slip slightly out of place. With a clunk, he pops it back into place and takes a couple seconds to catch his breath, then looks up to see a mildly horrified Mr. D. 

“You could have stayed in your wheelchair if it was more comfortable or I could have helped you transfer, Nico,” Mr. D insists.

“I’m fine, it’s normal for me. Just hurts a little,” Nico responds, “Did Will tell you about what’s wrong with me?”

“Not with any detail, only accommodations that you need. Do you want to tell me? You don’t have to if you’d like to keep it to yourself.”

“Eh, not like I can really hide it. I mean, look at me, it’s pretty visible. They said I have chronic bronchitis, asthma, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Which is a fancy way to say I can’t breathe and have a gross cough, my joints dislocate and hurt, and I can’t stand up without feeling like I’m going to pass out. Also I'm immunocompromised, so I get sick a lot.”

“I’m familiar with them, we have had other campers with those conditions. How do you feel about the diagnoses?”

“It feels nice to have a name for it, like that I’m not crazy or making it all up overreacting. But it’s kind of overwhelming. I mean, a year ago I was summoning legions of the dead without a problem, and now it’s so different. I’m the son of Hades and I can barely even spar anymore!” Nico frustratedly exclaims.

Mr. D nods, “Changes in health are difficult to adjust to, it’s normal to grieve who you used to be. I hear that you have become quite close with some other campers, though?”

“Yeah, Will has been great. He’s been so patient and kind with me, I really like him. As a friend of course nothing else. I’ve also gotten closer to Percy since he has the same lung stuff I have going on, among other things. And Jason and I got closer to on the quest and because he joins us in the mornings. Also, Connor Stoll has been really nice to me the few times we’ve hung out,” Nico lists off. 

“I’m glad to hear you’ve been making friends here. I noticed my son sitting at your table today. Namely because he ditched me. But I’ve been telling him to talk to Will again for the longest time, so I can’t get angry. You said ‘among other things’ when talking about similarities with Percy, do you want to elaborate on that?”

“I guess so. He helped me through a panic attack and he told me that he gets them too.”

“Are you ready to start talking about your mental health? It’s okay if you don’t want to yet, I have other topics we could discuss.”

“No it’s okay. That's the whole point I’m here, right?”

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go at your own pace. You get to choose what we talk about here, what kind of help I give you, and who gets to know what. Therapy is for you to discuss whatever you want. If that’s the good things from the week, the bad things, something you found interesting, then that’s okay. Also, I have wards in this room so no gods other than me can enter or see in. It’s total privacy.”

Nico’s stuck somewhere between shock and appreciation, “That’s… thanks. It’s hard never having actual privacy here. I think I’m ready to talk about it now.”

“Okay. You talked about having a panic attack?”

“Yeah, I used to get them every time I’d sleep and also other times too. Since Will gave me some sleeping meds, I haven’t been getting nightmares and waking up panicking. I still get these flashbacks to stuff that makes me panic, though. That’s what happened with Percy, he brought up something that reminded me of a shitty time and I ended up panicking really badly.”

“What do you do to get through these flashbacks and panic attacks?”

“If I’m alone, I usually try to use something cold to shock me back to the real world. I feel really… floaty sometimes during them? Like I’m stuck between the memories and the present. I rock back and forth, I move my hands in a certain way. If it’s really bad, I sometimes don’t realize it, but shadows start to move towards me and I uhh.. I start to hit or scratch myself or stuff like that. When I’m with people, it helps when they show me how to breathe and touch my hand or back so I can feel the world around me more. There’s an Italian phrase my sister used to say to me that helps too.”

“Do you often resort to self-injurious behaviors when you’re in crisis?”

“... I think I do, yeah. Half of the time I don’t even realize I’m doing it.”

“And the other half?”

“I’m hoping that the pain makes me feel better. Ironic, right? I’m in pain all the time but I look for more to make my brain shut the fuck up.”

“It’s far more common than you think, it doesn’t make you strange. It does, however, mean we will be working towards finding safer coping mechanisms and having plans in place for if you do feel distressed. Are you familiar with safety checking?”

“I think Will did that yesterday during our check up.”

“Ah I see, are you comfortable if I ask him about that if you do not want to repeat it?”

“That would be nice, yeah. He basically said at the end that I’m not in any real danger but that I should talk to you about it. He also gave me this booklet for Mad something?”

“Mad Mapping, yes. It’s a good practice for making sure you have plans in place for different situations you might be distressed in.”

The god is interrupted by a file sliding under the door. Nico chooses not to question the speed of Mr. D in asking and Will in responding. Mr. D quickly scans the file before looking back at Nico.

“We will be discussing what you told Will more later. I also see notes that Will suspects that you have autism, PTSD, major depressive disorder, and anxiety. Were you aware of this?”

“Not all of it, but it makes sense from what I’ve been told the past few years. None of those were really words we had when I was growing up. But, I do know I’ve been fucking miserable ever since my sister died and my life went to shit. And before that too, but my memories get a bit iffy at that point. But, it feels nice to have words to put to it other than just feeling like I’m going crazy.”

“Diagnoses can feel quite validating, yes. And it’s frankly surprising that you have any memories from before the Casino at all.”

“It’s because of the Phlegethon. It heals more than the Lethe could destroy.”

“Which parts of the suspected diagnoses were you aware of before I told you?”

“The PTSD because Percy talked about his own symptoms and autism because Connor and Will talked to me about it. Percy mentioned depression and anxiety the other day, but didn’t go into detail really.”

Mr. D glances at the clock to see that it’s nearly lunchtime, “Unfortunately, it seems like our time is running out. I am going to affirm the diagnoses Mr. Solace noted, as it seems like you personally benefit from the language of them. That being said, these don’t make you a lesser being or a problem that needs fixing, it just means that your brain works differently from what mortals consider average. Which is a load of bullshit, in my opinion. I’m the god of madness and they would've diagnosed me with outrageous things if they talked to me back when I was still a demigod. And I would say that if anybody gets to decide what’s normal, it’s me! Enough of my rambling, though. Is there anything else you would like to discuss before we end the session?”

“Not that I can think of, no. This wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It’s nice to see this more… human side of you? That’s a compliment.” Nico replies.

“Alright, I’ll see you next time. Take care, Nico.”

The next days pass pleasantly. Nico spends his days with his friends going to various activities around camp. While he still can’t really spar like he could before, he’s able to hold himself in the low-stakes sessions he has with his friends. Especially with his new meds, his tolerance for standing is way better than it’s been in a while— although he still needs his crutches. In the end, Will clears both him and Percy to play Capture the Flag so long as they promise not to overdo it. With these restrictions, the teams end up being Apollo, Athena, Hermes, and the Big Three against the rest of camp, dividing the camp around at a 40%-60% split. 

The game is scheduled for 2pm, an hour later than it historically has been. Will has been spending any spare moment he can pestering the other counselors into unionizing against Chiron for the later start time, citing that it would give cabins actual time to get ready after lunch. Nico's not really sure how Will got Chiron to change his mind after the centaur held firm to tradition for so long, but at breakfast the morning of the game the time change is announced. 

All morning, Nico's been taking it easy in his cabin. Luckily his pain hasn't been too bad today, but he doesn't want to push it too much just to be safe. Plus, all of his friends are busy getting their cabins ready for the game, so he didn't really see a point in going out. 

As Nico eats his lunch on his cabin porch, he doesn't know if he's thrilled or terrified to participate in the game. He's been training up his powers ever since the ice cream heist and is buzzing with excitement to show them off. At the same time, he's nervous about what the others will make of him fighting with his mobility aids. What if they refuse to go anywhere near me? What if they immediately target me because I'm weak? What if nobody wants me on their team and I can never play again? Before Nico can spiral any more, he's interrupted by somebody tapping his leg.

“Dude, you there? Nico?” a voice asks. 

Nico looks up to see Percy and Annabeth standing in front of him and identifies the tapping and the voice to be Percy's. Annabeth is holding an open notebook in one hand and Percy's hand in the other, both of them look thoroughly concerned.

“You good?” asks Percy. 

“Yeah, what's up?” Nico responds. 

At that prompting, Annabeth begins to ramble, “I wanted to talk about strategy for today's game. I was thinking you and Percy would be best on flag defense because of your restrictions. I'll stick Will with you too, since Chiron’s making him actually play this time. He's good with swords and bows, even if he won't admit it. Jason and the Stolls will be on offense to get the flag, with the rest of Hermes as backup. Athena and Apollo will be long-range defense, AKA what's too far for you to run. It'll be pretty obvious what your range is once we get you set up, sound good?” 

“Sounds good. I was planning to drop the temperature of the area to make it foggy and bend some shadows to obscure the flag. Pretty passive on my powers, so I should be able to fight and summon a few things too,” Nico replies. 

“I can help with the fog so you can pull back on the temperature manipulation. Save your energy for any big ass obsidian or skeletal needs,” offers Percy.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Will Solace appears and plops down on the bench where Nico is sitting, “It sure is a good thing nobody will be pushing themselves to their absolute limit during a casual game of Capture the Flag, so power drain won't be a problem!”

“Yes, Will,” Percy and Nico groan in unison.

“Seriously y'all, you'll never get back to where you wanna be if you keep pushing yourselves to your limits. Your bodies need time to bounce back,” Will firmly reminds the three, “I'm trusting y'all to not end up sick as a dog in my infirmary from a flare because of this game.”

“I know I know. I've been practicing fighting while holding up shadows and fog, and it's been going good. No passing out or anything,” Nico reassures the medic. 

“And we'll be doing the treatments right before! Thanks for getting that extra time after lunch, by the way,” Percy adds. 

“If Chiron's going to make me play for the first time in literal years, it's going to at least be my way. Even if he doesn't know it,” Will smirks, “So I'm with you two on flag defense?” 

Annabeth continues telling the details of her plan as Nico finishes up his lunch. When he finishes, the four demigods head into Nico’s cabin so that the two boys can do their treatments. Annabeth and Will continue chatting. I'm a hushed tone, Annabeth seems to be trying to convince Will to use some of his powers that remain unnamed despite him being vehemently against it. 

“No, I’m never doing that ever again if I can help it. Nothing you say will change my mind on that,” Will insists, probably louder than he means to be, “It hurts too many people. And what's the point of me being around if I just hurt people?”

“You said it yourself, no powers are evil. Take your own advice, Will. You’re never going to get better with them if you shove them away forever,” Annabeth retorts at the same volume. 

Percy scoffs just quietly enough that only Nico hears it, the sound of the nebulizers covering up his reaction. Nico sends a quizzical look to Percy, who responds by shaking his head, so Nico drops it. As he listens in on Will and Annabeth’s conversation, Nico realizes that Annabeth doesn’t seem to have been pestered by Will to do extra treatments. 

“Why don’t you do any treatments, Annabeth?” Nico blurts out, widening his eyes as he realizes how invasive the question is, “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to of course I’m sorry I—”

“It’s okay. In short: I don’t have it as bad as you two do. I managed to come out of everything pretty fine in terms of respiratory conditions,” Annabeth responds, Nico nodding understandingly and setting a timer for fifteen minutes for Percy and him. 

As his Acapella starts to make him cough, Percy jokes to Annabeth, “Don’t you wish you could be us, Wise Girl?”

“I hate seeing you so sick, Seaweed Brain. I can’t believe I forgot to check the ship’s infirmary stock for you,” Annabeth replies, wincing at the sight of her boyfriend.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, everybody forgot. Plus, if anybody’s to blame it’s Hera for kidnapping me without my meds,” Percy shrugs off her worry, reaching out to hold Annabeth’s hand. 

She holds it, but it looks awkward. Like she’s uncomfortable or something. Nico and Will shoot the son of Poseidon a skeptical look, remembering back to what Percy had said during his check up. Percy responds with a shut-up-I’ll-talk-about-it-later look, so Nico resumes his treatments and Will starts rambling to him about something called Star Wars. He honestly isn’t sure what Star Wars even is, but he likes hearing Will talk so he won’t argue. 

Before he knows it, the timer is done and it’s time to actually get ready for Capture the Flag. Percy and Annabeth part ways to get dressed. Meanwhile, Nico goes to the bathroom to get changed into some lightweight Stygian Iron armor from his father. He sheaths his sword and a dagger into his crutches, which are now sporting obsidian spikes, and walks out of the bathroom. 

There, he sees Will in a celestial bronze chestplate that’s adorned with gold detailing of hyacinths with oxidized red copper crosses on the biceps. Slung over his shoulders are two small bags, a bow, and a quiver. Hanging off of his waist is a celestial bronze sword with another almost translucent material weaving up the blade and a sparkling gold leather handle. Holy shit he’s beautiful, I swear he’s glowing.

“You like the view? You don’t look too bad yourself, Niccolò,” Will smirks.

“What? No. I mean yes. I mean— fuck. You look good, Solace. I haven’t ever seen you in that armor before. It looks good,” Nico stumbles over his words, internally cringing at himself. He preemptively pops one of his pain meds and puts small bottles of his salves and his rescue inhaler in a small bag hanging off his waist, “Let’s just go, please?”

“Alright di Angelo, I’ll spare you this one… for now,” Will responds, walking with the son of Hades towards the forest. 

When they arrive, Annabeth directs them to where the flag is— a clearing deep in the forest near the creek. Will reiterates the very few rules to Nico as they make their way over. 

In the distance, Nico hears a horn blow as the games begin. At that, Nico takes a deep breath and pushes his hands towards the ground to drop the temperature and create a mist covering the clearing. Simultaneously, Percy uses the creek to thicken the fog until it’s nearly impossible to see through while Nico pulls the shadows to weave through it, creating a maze of darkness and haze. When the setup is complete, Nico’s just as energized as before and not even lightheaded.  

“Holy shit,” Will states, in awe of the sheer power display, “You weren’t lying when you said it was nothing.”

Nico grins, “It’s also enchanted so our team can see through it, you can thank Hazel for that trick she taught me.”

His attention is quickly ripped away from the blonde when he hears the opposing team approach. He isn’t completely sure who it is, but it appears to be members of the Ares and Hephaestus cabin based on the armor. 

“Ain’t no fuckin’ way,” one of them says, who Nico quickly recognizes as Clarisse.

“Yes a fuckin’ way, this has to be it,” Nyssa responds. 

Before Clarisse can respond, Nyssa throws down a fire bomb that ripples through the clearing, effectively thinning the fog. Nico is drawing more shadows towards the clearing to snuff out the fires when Nyssa swings at him. Immediately, he transforms his crutch into his sword and blocks her. 

At that moment, he feels his battle instincts pulse through him and he pushes Nyssa back, sending her stumbling backwards. When she falls, another camper comes running towards him, but he summons an obsidian wall to block them. He disarms both of them, sending them to the jail on the other side of the woods. 

Across the clearing, he sees Percy fighting Clarisse and a few other campers. Nico books it towards them to help even out the fight, summoning some skeletons to help. Will is raining arrows down on their reinforcements. And yet he claims he doesn’t have the archery gift, Nico thinks to himself. In that moment of distraction, a thick vine wraps around his legs and sends him crashing to the ground. His hip radiates in pain as it’s pulled out of the socket, which Nico quickly relieves with a loud thunk as he pops it back into place. 

“Fuckin’ cheap shot, Pollux!” Nico shouts in no particular direction.

The son of Hades closes his eyes and takes a breath, feeling the area for the right aura. When he locates it, he reaches out for a shadow and teleports behind the son of Dionysus. He shoves the older boy to the ground and knocks his weapon to the ground. 

“Boo,” Nico deadpans, “I win.”

“Not yet, di Angelo!” Pollux exclaims as he pulls out a dagger, pushing away Nico’s blade. 

The two continue to spar, each getting in hits, when Nico senses one of his skeletons return to the ground. Nico grabs Pollux and reaches back into the shadows to jump closer to Percy and Will again, hoping to disorient the other demigod enough. As they appear back in the clearing, Percy and Will have defeated Clarisse’s posse, who is now grumbling as they walk to the jail. His skeletons are idling aimlessly, so Nico dismisses them. 

Pollux, surprisingly not as disoriented as Nico would expect him to be after shadow traveling for the first time, lunges at Nico. Will steps in front of Nico, blocking Pollux’s blade with his own. He reaches to the sky with one hand and places it back on the hilt of his sword. Nico is in awe as the sword’s previously clear detailing glows a bright goldenrod color. 

Will pushes the flat of his blade against Pollux, sending rays of light shooting outwards as the son of Dionysus and the rapidly approaching opposing reinforcements are pushed to the ground as they’re hit. Will’s blade then starts to glow an eerie greenish black and the opposing team starts to cough as if nosoi suddenly appeared. Pollux is hit the worst as he leans over heaving. 

Percy widens his eyes and swiftly shakes Will’s shoulder, his sword goes back to its normal celestial bronze and translucent colors. Will gasps, quickly grabbing at the air repeatedly. The haze swirls towards him, dotted with the same greenish-black hue from moments ago. With a final movement, Will clasps his hands together and pushes it into a bag hanging from his waist. The opposing team suddenly looks just as healthy as they were before, but quickly retreat with hushed whispers. 

“Fuck,” the Will stumbles back, he sits down and starts rocking. He rips off his wrist guards and sinks his nails into the skin between his bracelets, “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.”

Nico cautiously approaches him and lowers himself to the ground. Choosing to ignore the pain that runs up his legs as he does so. He swings his arm around him, rubbing his back like Will has so many times. 

In the gentlest tone he can manage, Nico speaks, “Breathe, it’s going to be okay, I’m here.”

Will tries to shove Nico away, “Get away from me. You’re going to get sick. I’m going to hurt you, I always hurt people,” he repeats over and over again as his panic grows. 

“I’ll get sick for you, Sunshine. Come on now, breathe with me,” Nico replies, placing Will’s hand on his own chest. They sit together and breathe, Percy worriedly standing guard. Nico can’t sense a single soul from either team anywhere near them. 

After a few minutes, Will suddenly stands up, “I’m fine, let’s keep playing,” he insists with an unconvincing smile.

Before Nico can argue, the conch shell sounds again and the sound of Chiron’s voice booms through the forest announcing that their team has won. The entire rest of the team comes bursting through the clearing with the flag. Will is back on the ground, looking just as upset as he did before standing up. 

Connor is beaming with joy, “Dude, it was so cool! Me and Trav were all sneaky sneaky and then Jason was all pew pew storms and lightning AND THEN STARTED FLYING??? And then Cecil set off a trap but it was okay because I was already running and I took this shortcut through a cave and it was so epic. And then—” Connor stops mid-sentence and his face drops, “Oh shit, it happened. Annabeth, clear out campers. Trav, Get Kayla now.”

Nico whips his head back to Will to see the blonde on the ground. His hands are tightly clasped over his ears, like the sound of everyone around them is hurting him. The blonde is hunched over and silent, but it doesn't take a genius to tell how tense he is. 

Kayla arrives moments later and gently takes his CIs off. She repeatedly taps her hand on Will's chest with different handshapes until Will grabs her hand and looks at her. Kayla shoos away the rest of the counselors, but Nico stays a polite distance away. She doesn’t call him out on it, so he figures it’s okay. 

Nico watches as Will signs to Kayla, he assumes Will’s explaining what happened. What even happened? Nico’s heart breaks as he watches Will start sobbing, his hands shaking as he tries to keep signing. He gives up and hides his face behind his knees. Kayla places her hand underneath one of Will’s and continues signing, using the other to slowly brush her hand up and down his forearm almost like Nico conducts his own breathing.

After a few minutes, Kayla motions for Nico to come over again. He sits down and rubs Will’s back, placing his other hand on Will’s knee as he continues to cry. Many more minutes pass and his breathing finally evens out and he looks up, bringing his flat hand to his chin and moving it away from his body.

“Thank you,” Kayla translates. 

Will then waves his pointer finger in a circle in front of his body then holds up both his hands in a fist and flicks his fingers open.

“Sign only,” Kayla interprets and signs a quick question to Will, then switches to SimCom, “Me talking here, Will usually prefers ASL after panic attacks and having his CIs on are too overwhelming right now. But he likes your company and I can interpret. Just make sure you face him when you talk.”

The three of them sit in silence, the coolness of Nico and Percy’s fog long gone as the summer sun beats down on them. The birds sing above them and frogs croak from the creek. A gentle breeze rustles the leaves, providing just enough relief from the heat. Eventually, Will slides his hand into his bag and adjusts his CIs to a quieter setting before putting them back on.

“I owe you an explanation,” Will quietly states. 

“You don’t have to,” Nico replies. 

“I’d rather you hear it from me than from the rumor mill that I’m sure is already going,” Will says bitterly, “I made everyone that knew from the last time this happened swear on the Styx that they wouldn’t tell anyone before I did. There’s a reason I'm only a medic. I have plague powers, and they tend to dominate when my battle instincts take over. I hate it so much. I’ve scared off and hurt so many of my friends with them. I hate it. I’m supposed to heal, but how the fuck do I do that when my powers are so destructive? And gods! I try so hard to keep control but all I’m going to do is end up hurting you too! Fuck, I might’ve just signed your ticket to Charon’s boat by having you near me earlier!”

“This guy once told me that our powers are picked with love by the gods, and all of them have beauty. You wouldn’t have taken back all the illness after realizing what you did if you wanted to destroy them. Aditya’s plague powers are why I’m alive today. Sure, it can hurt a lot, but it can also save a lot too,” Nico responds. 

Will signs something, flicking his fingers away from his chest and doing some other gestures Nico can’t quite make out due to the speed.

“I hate that I’m like this,” Kayla interprets solemnly. 

It hurts Nico’s soul to see Will so upset. To know that he feels as horrible as Nico has. Nico quietly prays to Apollo, please be a better father and help him make sense of this. Will deserves more than you’ve ever given me. 

“ Mio caro , I wouldn’t trade any part of you. Do you wanna go to my cabin?” Nico offers, knowing that the wet grass can’t be that comfortable. 

Will nods and the three make their way to Cabin 13. They get settled on Nico’s couch, Will still relatively silent. Nico serves sets of his imitation-Argo II dishes. They eat in quiet, the ambient sounds of the evening leaking in through the windows. Nico turns on a nature documentary for them to watch and the three end up binging movies until curfew.

“Do you think I can sleep here tonight? I’m not ready to see everyone yet,” Will asks.

“Of course,” Nico immediately answers. 

“Let me grab you some clothes and your meds, I’ll be back in a few. If anybody asks, I’ll tell them that a camper had an emergency and you had to monitor them overnight, okay?” Kayla signs first, then repeats aloud when she remembers Nico doesn’t know ASL. 

Will signs a quick thank you in response as his sister heads out the door. He moves towards the extra bed as Nico starts going through his nighttime routines. When Nico emerges from the bathroom in his pajamas, Kayla has returned with a clump of things in her hands. She hands it to Will and signs something to him, then waves goodbye to Nico as she heads out the door. Will changes and tips back a handful of pills before laying down. He doesn’t tell the son of Hades what Kayla said, but Nico figures that it’s private and he doesn’t need to know and lays down too. 

“They’re for anxiety, depression, and sleep. I know you’re wondering,” Will states, staring blankly at the ceiling.

“I was, but I wasn’t going to ask,” Nico replies. 

“I’ll try to be normal tomorrow. I’m sorry you had to see me like this,” Will anxiously says.

“I’d be okay seeing you any way you are, Solace. Get some sleep now, sweet dreams,” Nico responds in as soft a tone he can manage.

Nico lays in the quiet of his cabin until he hears Will’s breathing even out as he falls asleep. Slowly, Nico is lulled to sleep, the phantom feeling of Will’s body against him comforting him as he dreams.

Chapter Text

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man and beast and every plant of the field, in the land of Egypt’” - Exodus 9:22

A roaring clap of thunder wakes up Nico. It’s the middle of the night, his clock displaying that it’s 2:17am. Rain is pelting down on the cabin roof so loudly it almost sounds like hail. Lightning flashes outside of his window and a thunderous boom shakes Nico’s bed. Well now I'm awake, thanks Zeus. The sky continues to rumble and Nico's anxiety grows. Fuck, I thought it wasn't supposed to storm in here. Another clap of thunder makes him violently flinch. 

Suddenly, he smells cigar smoke and his mother's gardenia perfume. 

He's in the hotel in DC, in the distance the Washington Monument towers above the city. The lobby is grandiose with green and white marble tiles and chandeliers dotted across the vaulted tin ceilings. He's sitting on his Mamma's lap playing with a toy boat his father gifted him. Well, more like his Mamma was holding him as still as she could in her lap as he squirmed around. Bianca is sitting on their father's lap drawing with some crayons. The sound of rain outside echoes through the room. Nico's parents are quietly arguing, slipping between Italian and English.

“Mio caro, Maria. My family is getting angrier and angrier. My hands are tied, I cannot protect you here,” Hades nervously explains, “Come with me, I will build you and the children a palace for millennia.”

“Ade, il mio tesoro. I will not hide, the Underworld is no place for a child to grow up. They deserve the sun, friends, a childhood,” she insists. 

Suddenly, the smell of ozone and petrichor leech through the lobby doors. The storm escalates outside, it sounds like the building is being used as a bass drum. It's so loud that Nico can't think. It hurts.

Nico whimpers and clasps his hands over his ears, “Make it stop Mamma!” he cries, hiding his face against her body. 

“Shhh, breathe my Niccolò. Dentro e fuori. It'll be over soon, it's only a summer storm. It will bring beautiful life, like the flowers you love,” Maria soothes him, rubbing his back. 

“Maria, we're out of time! We need to leave now!” Hades urges. 

“Nonsense. Come here, give your children a hug,” Maria insists as she brings Hades in for a kiss, then embracing Nico and Bianca tighter as she kisses the tops of their heads, “Te amerò per sempre.”

They sit in silence for what feels like forever. The warmth of his Mamma's breath on his face comforts him. He feels his father's cold hand on his back moving up and down, as if to tell him how to breathe. Bianca’s skirt presses up against his arms. The storm keeps raging outside, but it feels quieter than before. For a fleeting moment, it's peaceful. 

Then the mother, no the father , of all thunder booms so loudly that Nico can't hear anything except a ringing in his ears. A bright flash overtakes the entire room, Nico squeezes his eyes shut. He feels his body being torn away from his Mamma's warmth and the world goes dark. Pain radiates through his chest, like his soul is being ripped out. 

When he opens his eyes, he's laying in Bianca's lap on the floor. The marble tiles below them are nothing but cracked shards digging into his back and side. Nico sees his father across the room— it's not a room anymore, though. The roof is gone and the rain is beating down on them. Hades is leaning over something on the ground, but Nico can't see. He squirms his way out of Bianca's grip and books it towards his father. 

“Nico, no!” Bianca shouts as he runs away. 

He approaches his father, who's crying as he argues with a man with long hair and wearing long black robes. On the ground, he sees his Mamma asleep. 

“Mamma! Wake up!” Nico shakes her shoulder. She doesn't move. Nico hesitates, “Mamma?”

“I must take her now, Hades. You know we cannot interfere with the Fates,” the mysterious man says. 

“This is no work of the Fates, Thanatos,” Hades snarls, “My Maria will be granted Elysium. I will see to it personally.”

“You will be breaking the ancient laws,” Thanatos reminds.

“To Chaos with the laws! Is it not interference to murder my children's mother in an attempt to stop Fate?” Hades refutes, pulling Nico into his arms, “I am leaving with my family now. I trust you will be wise with what you choose next.”

Hades holds Nico and Bianca tightly in one of his arms, holding Maria's hand in the other. The shadows crawl out from the rubble of the hotel towards them. Even though Nico's eyes are open, it's pitch black. When the light returns, he's in a grand room made of black stone. There’s an old woman standing in front of them. 

“Alecto. Bathe them in the Lethe then take them to the Lotus. My children will not fall to my brother's hand.” Hades orders, he turns to his children and kisses them on the head, “Niccolò and Bianca, I love you. You will see your mother again one day, now go with Alecto. She has something interesting to show you.”

The world goes dark once again. 

Where am I?

Who am I?

Where is Mamma?

Nico opens his eyes to hear his sink running and the feeling of cool tile below him. It feels like the hotel's floor. He swears he can feel the pain of Mamma's death all over again. It hurts so much. Everything hurts so much. His body feels like it’s on fire and he feels trapped between memories. Gods, I wish it would all stop. 

The feeling of his sweatshirt suddenly feels overwhelming, the feeling of the wet fabric clinging to his skin. He rips off his top and curls into himself and sobs quietly. Sobbing for his Mamma. Sobbing for Bianca. Sobbing for his lost memories. Sobbing for everything that hurts his soul so much. He feels like he's been stabbed with his Stygian Iron sword, like his soul is being ripped out of his body. 

You know what you need to do, Nico. A voice rings in his head. 

Do it. 

Do it.  

You need it. 

Another roar of thunder makes Nico jump again as he struggles to stay in the present. He looks down at his exposed arms, the raised white and pink lines running up them. He sees the oldest ones from when he was in Italy still, the ones from his first night in the Lotus, the ones when Bianca died, the ones from the last quest. He runs his fingers up and down them, feeling the lines that are far too neat to be an accident.

Fuck it. 

He reaches for a loose tile in the wall and sighs in relief when he finds a razor blade still tucked behind there. Nico flips it in between his fingers, almost hesitating, before bringing it to his arm. He barely feels the first cut, he feels so numb to everything. It feels hopeless. 

I just want to feel better.

I just want to feel better. 

I just want to feel better. 

When Nico finally stops crying and calms down enough to feel firmly in the present, he looks down at his arms. They're covered in new cuts running up the length of both of them. Nico pulls himself up and leans over his sink, wincing as he washes the blood away. He wraps bandages around his arms and watches as red seeps into them. Nico snaps himself out of his trance, realizing he’s teetering on triggering himself again, and forces himself to put his sweatshirt back on.

He shuts off the lights and opens the door, finding himself face to face with Will Solace. 

Merda.

“Did the storm wake you up?” asks Will.

“Something like that,” Nico replies, anxiously pressing his fingers into his fresh cuts. 

“It woke me up, too. Shook the bed,” Will says.

Nico doesn’t reply, walking past the other boy and laying back down on his bed. He stares at the ceiling, listening to Will get settled back down in his bed. He stares at the void of his ceiling for what feels like hours, but doesn’t hear Will’s breathing even out again. He looks over to his clock— it’s only been 15 minutes.

“Will?” Nico breaks the tense silence.

“Yeah?” the son of Apollo replies. 

“I shouldn’t be alone right now,” says Nico, his voice cracking. 

Nico hears Will’s bed creak and footsteps approach him. He feels Will’s warm aura next to him and the medic speaks, “Here, scooch over.”

Will gets into the bed and pulls Nico close to him, Nico involuntarily breathes in sharply as the healer puts pressure on the cuts on his upper arms. Nico curls up his body and lays his head on the other boy’s chest. The beating of his heart makes Nico feel like he’s alive. Like he’s not in that cursed hotel all those years ago. Will rubs circles with his thumb on Nico’s arm, seemingly unaware of the injuries right below it. 

Or at least not saying anything about it.

“We’ll be okay, Nico. We’ll be okay,” Will whispers into Nico’s ear. 

Will’s heart rate slows as he’s drawn back to sleep. His gentle breaths on Nico’s head feels like his Mamma’s, and he feels comfortable again. As he finally falls asleep, the warmth radiating from Will reminds him of better times.

Chapter Text

Nico wakes up and feels Will’s arms still embracing him, his body just as warm as it was earlier. Will is still fast asleep, despite the sun shining through the window and the birds singing outside. There’s a soft hum of campers in the distance and the scent of wildflowers wafting through the windows. 

He lifts his head to check the time and is shocked that it’s 11:30am. Not that he hasn’t slept in that late before, but the fact that Will’s still asleep too. As Nico readjusts, he’s painfully reminded of last night’s events as a searing pain runs up his arms. Fuck, that actually happened. Before Nico can spiral any more, Will’s eyes flutter open and he hugs Nico tighter with one arm as he puts on his CIs with the other. 

“Hey there sleepyhead,” Will whispers, his voice gravelly from sleep, “I guess we both slept in.”

“How are you feeling?” Nico asks, hoping to avoid conversation about the last night. 

Will shrugs, “Eh, still pretty anxious, but I’m better than yesterday. Don’t feel like I’m gonna have a panic attack any second now. Sorry again about imposing on you last night.”

“It’s okay, I’m glad you’re here. Sorry about making you do… this last night. Couldn’t have been good for you,” Nico reassures Will, gesturing vaguely at how the two are situated on his bed.

“Wouldn’t have if I wasn’t comfortable with it. Helped me a lot too— that’s the best sleep I’ve gotten in ages. I was more worried about making you uncomfortable, since I’m bi,” Will replies.

“Bi?” Nico asks, confused. 

“Bisexual, I like girls and guys. Like… to date,” the blond awkwardly answers.

Nico’s eyes widen, he’s just telling me this like it’s nothing? “Oh, cool. I didn’t know.”

“Eh, I don’t try to hide it but I don’t go shouting it across the mountaintops either. Just a fact of me, yanno?” Will explains.

The two boys continue to sit in silence, relishing in the company of each other. Nico’s fidgeting with Will’s bracelets, meanwhile Will is tracing shapes on Nico’s back. At some point, Nico readjusts and involuntarily hisses as he irritates the wounds on his arms. Shit shit shit, there’s no hiding that one from him. Nico pulls away from Will and sits up with his back against the wall, crossing his arms in front of his body. 

“You can go,” Nico immediately says. 

“I felt them last night as soon as I touched you,” Will replies just as quickly.

“I saw the cuts under your bracelets from yesterday,” Nico shoots back.

“I guess we both had bad days. Come back here, let me help you. I know you’re in pain, Nico,” Will gently says, “You’ve helped me so much, it’s the least I can do.”

“I don’t want you to heal me. I washed and bandaged them. I’ll be fine,” asserts Nico, “And I didn’t do anything to help you.”

Will backs off, “Okay, I trust you.”

Nico looks at Will confused, “...You’re not going to ask why?”

“Because you want to feel it, right? I could’ve healed myself too, yanno,” Will replies, “And you’ve done more for me than you’ll ever know. Come to me if they get infected?”

“How long have you been able to feel them?” Nico incredulously asks. 

“Always have been able to, just not my business to ask about. Don't get me wrong, I don't want you to hurt yourself, but I'd also be a hypocrite if I judged you,” Will explains. 

“So you know that I lied to you. That they're older than the Labyrinth,” Nico says, somewhere between defeat and anger. 

Will pauses for a second, then slowly nods his head, “Sometimes, I lie too. Figured you had a reason to, I usually do at least. The storm didn't wake me.”

“Oh,” Nico awkwardly shifts, “I’m hungry, can we go to breakfast? Well… lunch now.”

Will agrees and the two get ready. Nico throws on the closest pair of jeans and keeps his sweatshirt on. Just that action alone sends pain shooting up his legs, so it's undeniably a wheelchair day. When Will's finished getting ready, Nico starts to head towards the door but he gasps in pain when he first tries to self-propel his chair.

“Do you want me to push you?” Will immediately offers, Nico agrees and puts his hands in his lap, “I can ask the Hephaestus cabin if they have joystick controllers that work with your chair, so that you can still move around independently while you heal?” 

“That’d be nice, yeah,” Nico replies tiredly, realizing how horrible he still feels. 

The two boys make their way to the Mess Hall, as the draw closer Will starts rapidly tapping the handles of Nico’s wheelchair. Nico reaches behind him and puts one of his hands on top of Will’s to tell him it’ll be alright. Before they reach the pavilion, Kayla approaches them and signs with Will for a few minutes. 

When Kayla walks away, Will summarizes the conversation, “She was asking how I was. I told her and asked her to ask for that joystick for you, I didn’t tell her why you needed it. I just… I don’t want to deal with more people than I have to today. She also said she already delegated all of the cabin and infirmary stuff today so I can have a day off, and to page her if I need her.”

The two sit at the Big Three Table where Percy is sitting. Lunch today is build-your-own poké bowls. Jason is eating lunch at the lake with Piper today, so it’s just the three of them. Nico wishes he could enjoy lunch more because it tastes really good, but he’s in too much pain to like it too much. Of course, Percy notices. 

“You two look like you’ve been through the wringer. Are you okay?” Percy quietly asks, signing small and close to his chest at the same time as he speaks. 

“Just anxious,” Will responds. His legs have been shaking the table for the whole meal.

“I’m fine. Pain’s just worse today,” Nico answers shortly, half lying. 

“Bullshit,” Percy insists, staring at the son of Hades.

“There was a bad thunderstorm last night. Really fucked with me,” Nico explains.

Percy glances down at Nico’s arms, the sleeves on his sweatshirt had ridden up just enough to show the edges of his bandages. Nico quickly pulls his sleeves down again, “Like I said, really fucked with me.”

The older boy nods empathetically, “I planned today as a rest day alone, how about I spend it with you two instead?”

Will agrees, and Nico hesitantly follows. Suddenly, Pollux sits down at the table across from Will. Nico watches as Will’s hands start to noticeably shake on the tabletop and puts his hand on Will’s knee in an attempt to comfort him. Percy shoots Pollux a pointed look, but he ignores it. 

“You two are so loud I’m surprised my father hasn’t come over,” Pollux states, Nico and Percy looking confused, “Not literally loud. Your minds. What’s up?” 

“Are you feeling okay? No nausea or coughing or fever?” Will interrogates. 

“Is that what you’re worked up about? You don’t need to sweat that with me, I literally have madness manipulation powers. I get it, people used to get freaked out with me too. Plus, I’m close with Aditya— talk about doing a number on me with plagues, it took him way too long to figure out how to reverse it when he was first learning. But seriously. It’s okay, Will. Anybody that thinks otherwise is weird as fuck,” Pollux responds, “And I’m completely better. You’re in better control than you think.”

Will glances over to the other tables, taking note of all the stares at him and the hushed whispers before he replies, “They don’t think that. I can’t even hear them and I know what they’re saying.”

“Fuck what they think. It always takes camp a little to adjust to powers that they’re seeing for the first time. If they genuinely change their opinion of you because you showed off your nosokinesis, then they’re shitty people. I’ve lived here basically my whole life. I’ve watched a lot of different demigods with a lot of different powers come and go. I mean it when I say that the only thing that matters is what you make of your powers,” Pollux proclaims, “Nico, don’t think I forgot about you. My dad’s screaming at me right now that he’s moments away from pulling you into an emergency therapy session.”

“Are you only here to make him happy?” Nico bitterly asks.

“No. I’m here because I don’t like seeing my friends so upset,” Pollux replies, “I figured it’s a bonus that it keeps my dad off your guys’ backs.”

Nico nods and presses his hands against his bandages, “I had a bad night. The storm. I’ll be fine as long as somebody doesn’t decide to have another one of those for fun.”

“Are you going to be okay today?” Pollux asks.

Before Nico can respond, Clarisse sits down at the table next to Pollux. 

“We’re good, Solace. And same with my whole cabin. I’ll personally see to that anybody who gives you shit is dealt with. You’re a good person, don’t get in your head about what other people think,” Clarisse states while simcomming, then walking away to yell at the campers who were gossipping, “Do I need to beat some sense into you shitasses?! You’re just jealous you don’t have powers half as decent as Solace!”

Nico keeps quietly eating his lunch and worriedly glancing at Will, who seems to be growing more anxious and has abruptly taken off his CIs. Pollux leaves after a few minutes, telling them to swing by if they need anything and assuring them that he'll get Mr. D to leave them alone for the day. Kayla sits down, now holding a canvas bag, and starts signing with Will. Nico watches as Will's hands shake as he talks with his sister, it appears to be a serious conversation and Kayla looks worried. Eventually, she places her hands over Will’s to stop his signing and rubs her open palm on her chest. Will taps on his chest with an outstretched hand and Kayla turns to face Nico. 

“I got the joystick attachment, can I set it up for you?” she asks, Nico nodding in response. As she fiddles with the parts around his chair, Kayla continues speaking, “I'm gonna be hanging around you and Will today, if that's okay with you. Will's having an ASL kind of day.”

“Percy's already hovering, and I'm pretty sure Pollux is too,” Nico replies.

“Yeah, but Percy barely knows ASL and Will doesn’t like how Pollux interprets. I'm not going to be pestering you all day about how you're feeling— I think everybody else already has that covered— I’m just making sure you can communicate with my brother,” Kayla explains, “Also, the joystick is all connected!”

“Thanks, and I'm fine if you come then. Probably just gonna be spending the day in my cabin,” says Nico. 

“Speaking of which, let's get going,” Percy asserts, “I need to stop by my cabin first, but I'll see you soon.” 

The three demigods make their way to Cabin 13, Kayla insists the boys at least have a change of scenery and get settled on the couch. She sets up Nico's projector to play cartoons, citing that it'll be good to watch something upbeat. In the corner of the cartoon is a person signing, which Nico didn't even know the projector had a setting for. Nico is squirming in discomfort as he sits on the couch, it taking far too much energy to stay upright and deal with the pain. Will taps Nico’s leg and signs something to him. 

“Neeks, lay down. You can put your head on my lap if you want,” Kayla interprets. 

Nico is relieved to take up the offer and Will starts to play with his hair as he lays down. Nico folds his arms over his body and fidgets with the edge of his bandages. Nico notices that Will seems a lot calmer now, his hands no longer shaking and his breathing much more even. He uses his free hand to occasionally sign reactions to the TV show playing, Kayla interpreting. Eventually, Percy joins them holding a duffel bag and a beanbag chair that looks stolen from the Big House. 

“Ooh, I love Fairly Odd Parents! Good pick, Kayla,” Percy comments as he joins them around the couch, “I brought some stuff I like having when I don't feel like being a real person. Snacks, games, stuff like that. Help yourself.”

The four demigods sit quietly watching cartoons for a couple hours. Percy is fidgeting with an unconnected game controller and Kayla is working on infirmary charts. The quiet company feels good to Nico, the feeling of Will's hand twirling his hair keeping him grounded and the cartoons keeping him distracted enough. He's almost feeling better.

That is until the fact that Nico accidentally skipped his morning meds catches up to him and the overwhelming pressure in his chest makes him start coughing. He quickly sits up to try to breathe better, gasping at the burning pain shooting up his body as he keeps wheezing and hacking for what feels like ages. He can't tell if he feels like he's about to pass out from the coughing or his POTS or both. 

Everything hurts so fucking much. I want this to end. I want to fucking die. 

A mask is placed on his face and he feels the medication and oxygen start to enter his lungs. Kayla is kneeling in front of him holding the mask in place with one hand pushing Will's hands away from Nico's back and signing something sternly with the other. Still struggling to breathe, Nico suddenly feels overheated and decides to bite the bullet and take off his sweatshirt. After going through a second ampule of medicine, Nico sits hunched over panting as his body adjusts to finally getting in oxygen.

“Gods, I feel like shit,” Nico rasps, resting his face in his hands, his head still spinning and body still searing in pain. 

“I know, I'm sorry,” Percy says as he hands him a box of tissues and pushes the trash can closer to him. 

Nico coughs up the last of what he can and cleans himself up. I still feel fucking disgusting. He looks down to realize that he ripped some of his cuts open as red seeps through the white bandages, “Fuck.”

Will signs something as he holds a roll of bandages. He moves a sideways fist towards Nico, rubs his chest with a flat palm, and then rapidly moves his fingers. 

Kayla interprets, “Can I help you? Please, Neeks.” 

Nico nods and sits up to face Will, who carefully unwraps his bandages. When they're off, Percy gasps at the state of Nico's arms. The son of Poseidon quickly leaves the room and returns with a washcloth and a basin of water. He tentatively approaches Nico and helps Will. Percy brings the water to Nico's arms and makes it gently flow up and down them, closing all the cuts and soothing the burning that had been nagging at him since last night. With a final touch, he dries Nico's arms and Will rewraps them. 

“Lay down, I can feel your heart beating out of your chest. And I don't even have that strong of vitakinesis,” Kayla simcoms. 

Nico obliges, resting his head on Will's lap again. Usually he would argue it a little more, but he really does feel like he's about to pass out now that she points it out. 

“Sorry I'm such a fuckin’ mess,” Nico breaks the silence. 

“Eh, we're all messes here— well except Kayla. I've literally had that exact thing happen so many times,” Percy says as he subtly lifts his sleeve to reveal hundreds of scars that mirror Nico's, “Nothing to be sorry about, I promise,”

Will bounces a fist with his thumb and pinky outstretched repeatedly while nodding empathetically. 

“That, that, that,” Kayla translates literally before clarifying, “It’s ASL slang, it sort of means ditto or yes? Like agreeing, but a little more personal. Deaf people use it for a lot of stuff, it's a good sign to learn.”

Will glances at the clock and groans as he signs again, “Ugh, I don't want to go to dinner, lunch was a disaster and that was when my meds were still at full strength.”

“We can stay in, I have my magic dishes,” Nico offers, “I don't really wanna go out either.”

Percy grabs the dishes and passes them out. As he devours a plate full of vegetarian enchiladas, he begins to speak, “You know when you guys were giving me all these looks yesterday with Annabeth?” 

Nico thinks for a minute and nods. Yesterday feels like so long ago. 

Percy continues, “Yeah, that was about me having some powers that freak out Annabeth. She… she doesn't really get it, yanno? Everything with my chronic illnesses, my powers, sometimes it's like she chooses to forget it to fit this picture she has of me. During the last quest, I figured out I can control poison and blood. It really freaked both of us out. I was bitter that she's out here saying no powers are bad when she told me some things aren't meant to be controlled. And then hearing her say she hates seeing me so sick? I’m literally always sick! She just doesn’t like being around me when it shows because she’s scared, and it’s been showing a lot recently. But the last year's been really hard on her, so I try to give her some grace with it all. But yeah. I really do get it, Will. It terrifies me. I'm still trying to figure it all out.”

“Did you almost kill your friends because of your powers getting out of control, though?” Will asks bluntly. 

“No. I almost killed a goddess in her own domain,” Percy replies grimly, “Annabeth still doesn't trust me after that. But I'm trying to find the good in it, like apparently I can heal other people with water now?”

“I did kill somebody, and I hurt Reyna and Hedge when I unleashed all my pain on them in the process. It freaks me out so much still. But I did figure out my temperature manipulation powers, which was kinda cool yesterday,” Nico adds.

“I guess. I don't know. Thanks, though. It's nice to know I'm not the only one. And it's the fact there's nobody else with plague powers in the same way, like I just have to figure it out by myself!” Will signs sharply. 

Nico and Percy nod empathetically, knowing that they surely aren't getting any sibling or godly help to navigate their powers. Nico tried to look into it awhile ago, all the books about children of the Big Three were super vague or were about defeating them. 

“I swear, we gotta get a funky powers support group going. There's way too many of us flailing around,” Percy jokes. 

The rest of the evening passes beautifully uneventfully. Percy turns on a movie called Moana, which Nico enjoys, and they play some of the board games Percy brought. As curfew draws closer, Percy and Kayla go back to their respective cabins. Nico, tired from the emotionally exhausting couple of days, starts his nighttime routine. He does an extra breathing treatment to account for missing it earlier and the stress from the past couple of days. 

Will lingers behind and speaks aloud for the first time since that morning, “Do you think I can stay here again? Just tonight. I need one more good night's sleep before I can go back to normal. I can hear if you say something, just face me.”

“Of course,” Nico replies, “You can uh… sleep in my bed if you want to again? Because you said you needed good sleep. No other reason.”

“That'd be nice, yeah. Only if you're comfortable with it, of course,” Will quickly adds.

“Wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t comfortable with it,” Nico yawns, “I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. Let’s go to bed.”

At that, Will crawls into the bed and wraps his arms around Nico. He gently traces circles with his thumb on Nico’s arm until he falls asleep. Will’s embrace makes Nico feel safe and warm. The pain of the last 24 hours seemingly washes away and he’s gradually lulled to sleep.

Gods, I could get used to this.

Oh, fuck.

Chapter Text

Nico spends the next several days mildly panicking about the fact he definitely has a massive crush on Will. It was so much easier when he was in denial about it, but now it seems to be engulfing every moment he’s awake. And it’s not like when he thought he liked Percy— he actually knows Will. And he’s so enamored with every part of him: the way he signs before he speaks sometimes, the way his aura warms Nico’s soul, the way it feels electric when he holds him. 

Plus side? He's no longer miserably depressed, his pain’s been pretty manageable, and his arms are healing smoothly. When he miraculously reaches the end of how far his anxious spiral is able to go, he ends up where he is now: knocking on Jason Grace’s cabin door first thing in the morning. 

“Have my migraines gotten so bad I’m straight up hallucinating now or is it actually Nico ‘I Hate Mornings’ di Angelo knocking on my door at 8am?” Jason asks as he tiredly rubs his eyes. 

Nico spins his wheelchair, “In the flesh, I need your advice about something.”

“Alright come in, it’s not very comfortable here though,” Jason welcomes Nico in.

Not very comfortable proves to be an understatement. The only actual furniture is a small bed that’s obviously from the basement storage and a mismatched dresser. Otherwise, it’s like a museum with the giant statue of Zeus and various symbols of power and artworks. If it wasn’t for Jason’s bed, Nico would swear he’s in a gallery. Nico opts to stay in his chair while Jason sits on his bed.

“This is dumb, I should go,” Nico mutters as he’s stared down by a Hippie Zeus statue. 

“Wait no, stay. What’s up?” Jason asks.

“How did you know you liked Piper?” Nico spits out.

Jason shrugs, “Hera decided I would and then I kept agreeing with those memories after I actually got to know Piper myself.”

Nico groans, “Ugh, you’re useless to my cause. I cannot believe you’re the only person here besides Percy that knows I’m… yanno…”

“Gay?”

“Yeah… that.”

“You can say it. You’re not going to get in trouble here. I know you’ve heard about Apollo and Hyacinthus.” 

“It’s a tragedy. You’re not helping your point, Grace.”

“Okay yeah, but they were lovers. And Apollo loved him so much that he preserved Hyacinthus’ memory forever and created the hyacinth flower. Also, Kayla has three dads and nobody bats an eye. Being gay is pretty accepted in the mortal world these days too.”

“Okay whatever, still doesn’t help me.”

“So you’re having boy problems? What’s up with Will?”

Nico groans even louder, “How did you know!?”

“Dude. I hate to tell you, but I think everybody except you and Will knew the moment you let him drag you to the infirmary. You look at him all lovey dovey, you’ve never yelled at him to not touch you, you let him call you nicknames, the list goes on,” Jason replies with no sign of stopping anytime soon. 

Nico rolls his eyes, “Okay, I may have been less subtle than I thought I was…”

“I think the only person more oblivious than you, who just figured this out after flirting with him for a month, is Will who somehow also hasn’t caught on yet,” Jason smirks. 

“I’m autistic! You can’t blame me for not catching onto it. That’s like… anti-me or something like that,” refutes Nico. 

Jason laughs, “Alright, di Angelo. Whatever you say. Let’s go to breakfast, I’m sure Percy’s waiting for us.”

As predicted, Percy’s waiting for them at the table as he eats a bowl of cereal. He eagerly waves at Jason and Nico, as if they don’t eat together everyday. Only slightly unnerved, Nico gets situated at the table. Jason appears to be the same amount of confused with how animated Percy is, considering he’s usually pretty low-energy in the morning.

“...So what’s up, Percy?” asks Nico. 

“My mom is driving down today and we’re spending the day at the beach! She promised to bring down all my favorite foods and everything. Plus, she’s bringing me everything she bought me while I’ve been gone. It’s like a Percy Christmas! She said she’ll be here by the time I finish my morning treatments!” Percy beams. 

“I thought you went to school in the city? Why not wait until school starts like… next week to do Percy Christmas?” Jason asks.

Percy’s expression drops, “I… I don’t think I can do school right now. I might try online school eventually, but I need to focus on my health right now. I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell Annabeth that. I even got my dad to make all the gods lay off with bothering me for quests and stuff for the next few years. This world exhausts me, but the mortal world exhausts me even more. I just need time. I could barely sit through a school day before all the wars and getting sicker. I think it’d kill me to try now.”

“So what food is your mom bringing?” Nico asks, trying to lighten the mood again.

“She said she’s bringing duritos, jícama, paletas, sui mai, mangos, daahn tāat, Jarritos sodas, and a pitcher of mangonada! I’ll let you guys try some. Also some blue chocolate chip cookies, of course,” Percy responds, his affect starting to return to where it was before.

“What are you going to do at the beach?” Nico continues to ask.

“Usually we just relax, swim, stuff like that. I haven’t been able to go with her in years, so maybe I’ll show her some of my fish talking skills. They’re always so weird, and half of the time they’re just horny. We also like looking for shells and then sorting them, sometimes we make pictures in the sand with them. Oh! And there’s an ice cream place down the road from the cabin that I get blue moon ice cream from,” Percy explains, seeming upbeat once again. 

“Blue moon? Maybe sometime I’ll shadow travel us there so I can try it,” Nico suggests.

Percy gasps, “BIG THREE BOYS BLUE FOOD TOUR!! Please say yes Jason. Imagine it: blueberries, huckleberries, blue moon ice cream, blue raspberry shave ice, blue corn, the possibilities are endless.”

“Okay okay, you have me sold,” Jason raises his hands in surrender, “Let’s get going so you can get to your mom sooner.”

The three finish up their breakfasts and make their way to Nico’s cabin. Every few seconds, Percy glances at the clock to see how much longer he has to keep doing his treatments until he can finally see his mom. As soon as the final timer goes off, Percy practically jumps up as he shoves all of his meds back into his bag. 

“Nico, you should come say hi to my mom, she loves you! And Jason, she’ll love you too! She’s at the border right now probably, come walk with me,” Percy urges.

Jason helps Nico push his wheelchair through the grass. On a normal day, Nico can keep up without too much of a problem. But this isn’t a normal day because Percy is practically running to the border. Sally Jackson stands just on the other side of the magical forcefield, outstretching her arms and bringing Percy into a tight hug.

“I made it home, Mama,” says Percy.

“I know dear, I always knew you’d find your way. How are you feeling today?” Sally responds warmly. 

“Good enough for our plans,” Percy replies, staying close to his mom.

Sally smiles and turns to the other boys, “Hi Nico, it’s wonderful to see you again! Come give me a hug. And Percy! Who’s this?”

“Jason Grace. It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” Jason says, outstretching his hand.

“None of that, I’ve heard so much about both of you!” Sally insists as she pulls both of the boys into a hug, “Perce, you ready to go?”

Percy eagerly nods and the two make their way to the beat up Prius that Nico swears has hoof prints on it, somehow. Jason and Nico find it nice to see him so happy after everything, like he’s getting to be the kid again. They're all just kids, after all. 

The two are taking their time as they make their way back towards camp when a shadow is suddenly cast over them. There’s no weather in camp, it can't be a cloud. Above them a bronze automaton gracefully soars towards the ground with two pairs of feet dangling off the sides. They stop in their tracks. 

“No fuckin’ way,” Nico says in shock.

“I think it is,” Jason responds. 

Festus lands in front of them, with none other than Leo Valdez and presumably Calypso staring back at them. Leo looks exactly like he did before, wearing a white button up shirt with suspenders and an army green jacket with jeans. The two get off of Festus and the boy leans against the dragon. Leo enthusiastically waves at them, while Calypso gives a short nod.

“Hey Jason! Hey Nico!” Leo exclaims, the rest of the campers rapidly crowding around them, “I’m back! Where’s the party?”

Chiron approaches the son of Hephaestus, “Welcome back, Leo. It is quite relieving to see your return. And Calypso, welcome. We will celebrate tomorrow, you requested segueza de hongos I believe?”

Leo smiles and nods, he doesn't get a chance to respond aloud because he's nearly knocked over by Piper hugging him. 

“Don't ever do that again,” Piper scolds before lowering her voice to a whisper, “Are you doing okay?” 

“Not planning on it, Beauty Queen. And I’m doing alright, promise,” Leo smiles and turns back to face Jason and Nico, “Bro, I die one time and they give away my wheelchair?”

Nico's eyes widen and he reaches to the back of his chair to grab his crutches, “Shit I'm sorry! I didn't know I swear—”

“Don't sweat it, I'll take it back after I build you one. That chair doesn't even fit you right, my cabin's been slacking! Have you seen Bunker 9?” Leo cuts off Nico, who shakes his head, “I'll show you now, follow me! Festus, go say hi to Peleus.”

The two trek through the woods to Bunker 9, Calypso staying behind to speak with Chiron. Leo insists on helping Nico push through the terrain, much to Nico's annoyance. He doesn’t need the help. He isn’t that weak.

“I'm not trying to be overbearing, I need to hold onto something or I'm gonna fall. I’d use a crutch but I can’t adjust them right now,” Leo explains, Nico immediately letting down his guard. They keep walking deeper into the woods until they approach a cave, “Meet Bunker 9! Bienvenido!” 

They enter the bunker to see the walls covered in designs on papers at various stages of yellowing. There's a skylight and a giant, Argo II shaped empty space beneath it. Scattered around the workbenches are a mess of scraps and tools. Projects at various states of completed and abandoned litter the floors, leaving just enough aisle space for a wheelchair to get through with ease. Leo guides Nico to a chair and starts taking measurements. 

Nico glances around the bunker, “So… Nice wheelchair. Why? If you wanna answer.”

“Classical Ehler Danlos Syndrome and all the fun stuff that comes with it. My mom had it too, and I started showing symptoms pretty young. Stuff like horrendous balance making me dislocate shit, GI problems, among other things. I've been using a wheelchair and stuff basically my whole life,” Leo happily replies. 

“How come I never saw it on the quest?” Nico asks before thinking. 

“I can pass for abled pretty well when I'm medicated right, I have braces on, and Piper’s with me. Which was basically the whole quest. Plus you've never been in a car with me, my carsickness rivals Hazel's seasickness. Using mobility aids is just safer for me since I can dislocate pretty easily,” Leo responds, unphased, “Enough about me. What do you have going on? More info means I make it better for what you need.”

“I have EDS too. Apollo didn't say a type, though. I notice my hips and shoulders dislocate the most— My knees and ankles used to dislocate more before I got my braces. I also have POTS, which Will says that mine is pretty bad even with the meds his dad gave me. Then I have a bunch of lung stuff going on, kinda like how Percy does. Also I'm immunocompromised, but that doesn't matter for this really,” Nico explains

“Cool, it sounds like it’s hypermobile type? Don't quote me on that, I know cEDS best. The lung stuff is chronic bronchitis and asthma, sí? Makes it hard to breathe and you cough a lot?” Leo clarifies. 

“Sì. Also sometimes for… other reasons, I can't do the pushing because it hurts my arms too much,” Nico vaguely adds. 

“I noticed the new electric controls! I took an older version off for me to upgrade but didn't have time to before I left. Aight cool, I have an extra frame I made for myself here that I can adjust to your measurements. It'll be done before lunch. I'll make sure to add the motor-boosted wheels and the hideaway joystick control options. Also, I'll give it an antimicrobial coating so you don't get sick as easily. Do you want push handles on the back or nah?”

“Sounds good, and yes handles.”

“Sweet! I'll also add mounts for your crutches and weapons, black good for color?”

“Yes please, no offense but the design you got going on your chair isn't really my style.”

Leo laughs and he starts building, using his hand to weld the metal and pulling various tools from his belt. He cuts and bends the frame with ease, occasionally glancing back at his notes to make sure he's on track. “So, I'm guessing all of this is new to you? The wonderful world of disability and chronic illness, that is.”

Nico nods, “Yeah, it's been a lot. I've felt shitty for a long time, but it's different to actually know what all of… this is and do something about it. I'm surprised you didn't notice on the Argo.”

“I sorta noticed. You were coughing a lot like how Percy does. Didn't sound like fun,” Leo shrugs. 

Nico's eyes go wide, “I thought the rooms were sound proof.”

“They were, but I'd hear you hacking up a lung when you were up on the masts for lookout shifts while I was sleeping on the deck. Honestly, I thought you had the flu or something and just didn't wanna be around people and get them sick too,” explains Leo. 

Nico scrunches his face, “Ugh, I've had the flu and I sound way worse when that happens. How do demigod stuff with yanno, everything?”

“While being disabled and chronically ill as fuck? Honestly, it's what I grew up knowing. Sometimes it's depressing as Hades to get left behind when people don't wanna go at my speed or think I’m weird, but it's more telling of them than me. At least that's what I try to tell myself.” Let trails off at the end. 

“People here have been good about it. Sometimes confused or worried, but good,” Nico comments. 

“Bro, camp is so good about access. I thought I was in Elysium when I first got here! The Wilderness ‘School’ I was at before this was fucking awful. The principal didn't believe any of my diagnoses, told me I was faking for attention, and took all my medical shit. Talk about a major L,” Leo replies. 

Nico flashes a sympathetic look, “Shit, Leo…”

“Eh, it sucked but it's in the past now. Anyways, I'm just about done with your chair now, give it a try!” Leo announces with a grin. 

Nico transfers and it immediately feels so much more comfortable. It hugs his hips in just the right way that pressure is taken off of them, the backrest curves to perfectly support him, and his feet don’t feel cramped on the footplate anymore. Nico rolls around in it a bit, and realizes that his hands hit the wheels at a much more comfortable place and that they don’t strain his arms and fingers to grab anymore. 

“It’s perfect! Thank you so much!” Nico exclaims. 

“Of course, now my chariot can be returned!” Leo quips as the lunch horn blares in the distance, “I'm surprised mine worked for you as well as it did. It's like… extremely custom to my hand shape, the fact I'm always nauseous, and my ass shape so my hips don’t dislocate. Speaking of which, your chair might be a little bumpier going through terrain, let me know if you want that changed.”

“Damn, I couldn't imagine always being nauseous. I think I’ll be fine, it doesn’t bother me,” Nico replies. 

Leo shrugs, “I'm used to it. Plus it’s a good way to get out of something I don’t wanna be at. I mean, I couldn't imagine having yours or Percy's lungs.”

Nico nods understandingly and the two make their way back through the forest in their respective wheelchairs, chatting about their past month. Leo talks about how he got lost trying to get back from Ogygia and that he tried to send a bunch of messages, but most of them failed. As they approach the Mess Hall they both opt to sit at Nico’s table, while Calypso sits with Chiron and Mr. D. Nico grabs sandwiches for both of them and they get settled. 

“What’s up with her?” Nico asks, glancing at the Titaness. 

“She’s probably gonna get going tomorrow. When I died, I realized I don’t actually like her like that— I was more so just lonely and exhausted. Calypso’s nice and all, I’m just not interested anymore and neither is she. The journey back was kinda rough on me, it sorta freaked her out to see me so sick. But she talked about maybe joining the Hunters. I'm happy for her,” Leo responds. 

Nico wrinkles his nose at the mention of the Hunters, but tries to respond positively, “That sounds nice, good for her.”

“Yeah! Plus between you and me, I don't think she likes me all that much either. I get it that healthy people sometimes get wary about my health. I was really sick in ways that she couldn’t do anything about, that’s hard for somebody that could fix anything with magic for a millenia. She started to get really… upset. Let's just say that I'm happy to be back,” Leo adds, trailing off at the end. 

Nico nods along, “She's not worth your time then. Do you still feel like that, lonely and exhausted?”

“Eh, it's a work in progress,” Leo answers, then smirks, “Just like my ten million other projects I have in the Bunker!” 

Nico keeps eating his lunch, but Leo’s already finished and is off scraping his food into the brazier. He wonders how he could’ve eaten that fast, but chooses not to question it. Will has a shift in the infirmary right now, so Nico just watches the other campers until Leo comes back. Definitely longer than it should’ve taken to do offerings, but eh, not his business. Jason appears to be off somewhere else eating lunch with Piper from their noted absences. Nico and Leo keep chatting, it feels nice to see that Leo's actually alive and well. 

And it feels even better to know I'm not alone with all of this. 

“I told Connor I'd meet him in the arena after lunch, wanna come?” Nico offers as he finishes up his lunch. 

“I'm literally awful at fighting, you sure?” Leo immediately asks in response. 

“I've been working on techniques to fight from a wheelchair. I'll help you. Plus, you literally defeated Gaea. You can't be that bad at fighting,” Nico reassures. 

Nico and Leo head towards the Arena, as they approach they notice it's empty except for Connor and Travis in the center sparring. Every once in a while, it looks almost like they teleport as they dash to different parts of the arena. Connor slams his foot into the dirt, rippling the ground below his brother. Travis is chanting in a language that Nico doesn't recognize, trying to curse his brother.

“ Maia! Fucker, your curses don't work on me!” Connor exclaims as he soars above Travis’ head and summons coins from the ground to pelt at him. 

Travis responds by summoning a horde of feathers and shooting them towards Connor, “ Maia! It worked enough that I got your dagger!” he taunts, now at the same height as his younger brother. 

“Nice try, but I already won!” Connor shouts, waving a bandana in Travis' face. 

Nico watches in amazement. Is this what Cecil was talking about when he said they were powerful? The two land with a thud. Travis melodramatically complains about how he hates when Connor pretends he hadn't won yet and goes moping towards the cabins. 

“Holy shit! That was so cool!” Leo exclaims, Connor jumping at the voice. 

“Oh shit, didn't see you both there. Hey Nico. Also Leo, right? Welcome back!” Connor replies, “Uhhh… how much of that did you see?”

“Enough to see how good you are, you've been holding back with me,” Nico grins, “But yeah this is Leo Valdez, the one and only. He's gonna help me figure out wheelchair sparring.”

“Sweet! I was thinking it'd be useful to teach those techniques to everyone. I've got the arena reserved until dinner, so nobody should bother us. Leo, do you have a weapon?” Connor asks, Leo shaking his head in response, “Well that has to change! Let's check out the armory.”

Nico browses for Leo, occasionally handing him different weapons that Leo says all feel wrong. Then he finds a lone bracelet, he puts it on and it transforms into a full length celestial bronze sword with another material cascading up the flat edges of the blade. It looks almost like Will's sword. Connor looks over at Nico and gasps.

“That has to be the one! Leo, give it a try,” Connor exclaims as Leo tries it on and seems satisfied with the weapon's feel. He continues to explain, “Beckendorf made two of those for Castor and Pollux, but Castor preferred his thyrsus. It’s infused with power channeling materials and it can sense when you want it released or not, so it's good for using with mobility aids or in a pinch. It has basically instant release, like Riptide.” 

“¡No manches! I feel like I need to make an acceptance speech to have it. I'd like to say gracias to my Mami and the Academy for this honor.” Leo exclaims, dramatically bowing. 

Nico and Connor laugh and the three go back out to the arena. Connor helps Leo learn how to direct his powers through the sword, demonstrating with his own money manipulation skills he used earlier. Leo seems to be picking it up fairly easily. 

Meanwhile, Nico practices with the Stygian Iron cuffs his father gave him. He hasn't been able to use them since the thunderstorm, but his arms are finally healed enough that he can tolerate them. Nico debates taking off his jacket for easier access to them. Fuck it, they're gonna find out at some point. Admittedly, it does feel a lot better without the extra layer on. The other two demigods approach Nico, excitedly talking about how well the weapon is working. Leo has also taken off his jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his white button up shirt to his elbows. 

“Hey, we're twinning! Connor, who wore it better?” Leo jokes, holding out his arms that have a gold watch on one wrist and the bronze bracelet on the other. His forearms are covered with overlapping scars, with long vertical scars down the middle. Leo continues, “I guess we both have some spicy fun lore. Wanna try sparring now?”

Nico agrees and explains the technique he's been developing, “It's a lot of switching hands, equipping weapons at the right time, and using your opponent's movement to give yourself momentum. Watch me spar with Connor, no powers.”

Nico demonstrates, smoothly maneuvering his wheelchair as he fights the son of Hermes. He seamlessly switches between equipping his shield and sword, using Connor's advances to push himself out of the way and block hits. Nico manages to knock Connor off balance, taking the opportunity to throw a dagger down to pin him and using his sword to disarm him. Nico puts his brakes on and sticks out his hand to help up Connor. 

“One of these days I'm going to win, di Angelo. Mark my words,” Connor declares, taking Nico's hand and pulling himself up. 

“Ready to give it a try? I'll go easy, don't worry,” Nico turns to Leo. 

Nico and Leo spar for multiple rounds, Leo getting in a good amount of hits. Even though Nico ultimately wins each round, as to be expected, Leo is quickly becoming a stronger fighter. He offhandedly mentions that it's nice to learn from somebody who gets how his body works and that every other technique relies on him not falling every minute from not knowing where his feet are. Connor carefully watches, taking notes of their maneuvers and how he’ll incorporate it into his class. 

They're in the middle of a round when Leo abruptly retracts his sword and holds up one of his hands.

“Pause! I need a break real fast,” Leo yells. He grimaces as he touches his wrist, pushing on it until it loudly pops, “I'm gonna need my braces to keep going, I think I have spares somewhere in the Bunker, or maybe my room.”

Before Nico can say anything, the dinner horn sounds, “Let’s just stop for the day. I don't wanna spar in front of other people yet.”

Nico puts his jacket back on and the three boys make their way back towards the Mess Hall. Connor eagerly rambles about how he's thinking about changing the class to include Nico’s fighting styles. 

Leo keeps having to stop, wincing and popping his wrist as they move along. Eventually he turns to Connor and speaks, “Connor, could you push me? The handles fold out and lift to a better height. I have to stop by the infirmary, Nico you can come if you wanna, of course,”

 The son of Hephaestus carefully holds his wrist in his other hand as Connor pushes him and continues his rambling, Nico following alongside them both. Nico stays quiet, somewhere between shock and awe to see how easily Leo stopped to ask for help.

Will Solace is lounging at the front desk with his feet on the table as he does paperwork. He looks up and sees the three other demigods in front of him, “Hi Nico! Love the new chair, Oh! The campfire is finally smokeless, so you can go to it!”

Nico feels his face blush as he smiles and waves to Will, the two look at each other quietly until a voice interrupts.

“What am I, chopped liver? Wow Leo, what a nice custom wheelchair you made in a single morning, nice to see you're alive, what brings you here?” Leo jokes.

“Couldn't ever forget about you and Connor! As always, it's good to see you both. What's up?” Will smiles warmly. Connor waves, then gestures to Leo to start talking.

“I need some ace bandages. My wrist won't stay in place and I haven’t had the chance to look for my spare customs yet,” Leo explains, “My main ones got destroyed and the generics always cut up my skin.”

“Come by tomorrow and I’ll fit you with new ones. Or check the fit if you wanna make your own. You had wrists, ring splints, and KAFOs, right?” Will asks, Leo confirming with a nod, “Cool, here’s a few different sizes of ace bandages, and gauze too, for you to keep when you need them again.”

The son of Hephaestus pops his wrist again and tightly wraps it, carefully layering it like he's done it a million times before. He shoves the rest of the bandages in his tool belt.

“Oh, could I also get more of my meds and emesis bags? I'm running low after the quest and my month-long detour,” Leo asks, earning a curious look from the other boys, “GI dysmotility’s a bitch. Meds control it enough that I can eat most things, but I still get sick a lot. Good for me to be prepared, think Boy Scouts.”

Will returns with a drawstring bag of supplies for Leo, “When you swing by tomorrow, we'll do a checkup. I wanna hear about the quest and the past month from your view, just to see if we need to make any changes.”

Leo agrees and says goodbye. At that, the three head towards dinner and sit with Nico. Throughout the meal, different campers come up to gawk at Leo and ask questions about the quest and his wheelchair.

“Yes I actually died, but I got better!”

“There's nothing wrong with me. I was born like this, I have Classical Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Means I'm the superior fire wielder.”

“No I didn't steal Nico's chair, it was mine in the first place. Do you seriously think he'd choose color?”

“Finding Ogygia twice? Light work.”

“I don't recommend dying by explosion, 2/10, hurts a lot.”

Nico watches as Leo continues to answer the invasive questions seemingly without a care, putting a funny spin on each response. Between visitors to the table Leo suggests they go to the campfire after dinner, which Nico agrees to. They head to the amphitheater, where Leo joins his siblings who are all fretting over him and Nico sits a couple benches down where Will is. Calypso sits with the Hephaestus cabin, chatting about her plans. The singalong begins, Nico doesn’t know any of the songs but he has fun watching. Will doesn’t sing, but Nico swears he can see Will subtly moving his hands to sign along. 

In the middle of a song, Percy comes back carrying a duffel bag and sits next to Nico. He starts talking with Nico about his day until he stops mid-sentence and abruptly gets up and rushes towards his cabin. Leo shoots Nico a concerned glance and the two follow Percy away from the campfire. 

At first, Cabin 3 almost looks like it’s empty with all the lights shut off and the seemingly undisturbed mess of the cabin. Nico immediately notices that it looks a lot more like the infirmary than his does, with medical equipment that he's never seen the older boy use before. There's also the expected clutter of dirty clothes, food wrappers, and other miscellaneous objects that haven't found their home yet. Leo summons a handful of fire, revealing the son of Poseidon anxiously pacing the floor and scratching his arms as he mutters under his breath.

“Percy. Slow down, what’s happening?” Nico firmly asks.

Percy flinches away from the noise and continues his pacing as he rambles slightly louder, “I didn’t mean to leave her. I’m sorry. I should’ve checked or insisted more or something. I didn’t mean to leave her.”

Nico looks at Leo with a confused look, but Leo looks like he understands. He tries to approach Percy, but is pushed away. Percy looks absolutely terrified. 

“She’s not mad at you anymore. You’re in your cabin at camp with Nico and Leo. You and Annabeth are safe,” Leo calmly states, “Calypso understands now, she knows it isn’t your fault.”

“She cursed me. The arai knew it. It’s my fault. It’s all my fault,” Percy insists, not completely tuned into Leo's words at all. 

Nico turns on the overhead lights and wraps one of his instant ice packs in a damp washcloth. He moves in front of Percy’s path and holds the towel in place over his hands. It makes the older boy flinch away, but his powers seem to wrap around the moisture from the towel.

Nico evenly speaks, “You’re not down there anymore. Everybody is okay. Leo came back today and Annabeth is at the campfire.”

“Nico?” Percy questions as he slowly sits down on the floor, Nico following the movement without touching him.

“Yep, I’m here and I’m real. We’re in your cabin and you just brought back a bunch of food. Your hands are cold right now, it’s never cold in Tartarus,” Nico says. 

“It’s never cold in Tartarus,” Percy repeats. He looks around and processes where he’s at and takes a few deep breaths. He then groans, “Fuck. I was having a good day for once.”

Leo looks guilty, “Can I help you put away your food?” Percy nods and points towards his refrigerator. The room remains relatively quiet, Leo occasionally commenting on how much he loves the food that Percy has. 

“Tell me about your day,” Nico says to Percy.

“It was good. Just me and my mom, pretty chill. We went to my favorite diner for dinner and I got a pot pie,” Percy replies.

“Pot pie?” Nico asks.

“Yeah, it’s usually made with chicken but they used seitan instead. It’s a pie that has a creamy, soupy filling with vegetables. It’s my favorite. My mom called ahead so they’d have a vegetarian version for me,” Percy says.

“That sounds nice, what else did you have?” 

“We got apple pie with cinnamon ice cream for dessert. It wasn’t as good as my mom’s, but it was still really good.”

“My Mamma used to make torta di mele for fancy meals, it’s an apple cake with almonds and powdered sugar on top. Maybe I’ll try to make it for you one day and you can bring some of your mom’s pie.”

“I’d like that, yeah,” Percy looks over to Leo, “Thanks for putting all of that away. You didn’t have to.”

“Eh, wasn’t a big deal. Sorry I kinda fucked up your day,” Leo apologizes.

“Nah, not your fault,” Percy sighs, “Gods, I hate PTSD.”

“What? I personally love getting triggered by random shit and constantly being on edge. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Leo carefully jokes, “Wanna play some Uno?”

Percy agrees and the three lightheartedly chat about their past month. Leo skids around the topic of Ogygia or Calypso. He excitedly tells about Nico’s sparring lessons and how cool it was to be decent at fighting. He also jokingly complains about having to get new braces since Zeus’ slap and the explosion destroyed all of his. Nico stays quiet, his mind aimlessly wandering between thinking about Will and being mildly shocked with how candid the conversation is. 

“You’re both so open,” Nico accidentally vocalizes.

“You both get questmate privileges, I usually like to keep to myself,” Percy responds.

“Eh, it’s a foster kid thing for me. The system takes all your privacy and stories. This way I get to be the one to say it, at the very least,” Leo explains.

Nico nods and they continue to talk about nothing particularly important, bouncing from topic to topic. The rest of the world disappears and Nico feels more at home with each round of Uno. As curfew draws closer, the three part ways with plans to try sparring tomorrow and a promise to share favorite foods. Nico all but collapses in his bed, exhausted from the day but relishing in how nice it is to see Leo alive and well. With the last sip of his tea, he drifts off into a peacefully dreamless sleep.

Chapter Text

Nico wakes up to his room feeling darker than usual despite the morning sun streaming through his windows. He opens his eyes to see none other than the Lord of the Underworld standing next to his bed.

“Good morning, Niccoló,” his father says.

“Shit! Uh, I mean, good morning father,” Nico tries to move to kneel, wobbling as his heart races and black blobs dance across his vision.

Hades quickly notices, “Son, you do not need to kneel for me. Especially when it causes you so much trouble.”

Nico sits and leans his back against the wall, “To what do I owe this pleasure of a morning visit?”

“You said I could visit one morning to see everything,” the god replies, vaguely gesturing.

“Of course, yeah. I have to get ready for breakfast, can you hand me the metal things hanging at the end of my bed?” Nico asks, Hades obliging, “These are my leg braces, they make it so my ankles and knees don’t dislocate as much and so I can walk a little. I’m going to go to breakfast. I’ll be back in thirty minutes and then I can show you more.”

Nico heads to Mess Hall and gets settled at the table with Percy and Jason, who are already eating their breakfasts. “My father’s in my cabin right now, might wanna avoid it for the morning,” Nico informs the group.

“Gotcha, we can go to Jason's this morning then,” offers Percy, “See you later?”

Nico nods and finishes up his breakfast before heading back to his cabin. His father appears to be strolling around the cabin, summoning some updated decor for the room consisting of precious gems and various bones. Nico sits on his couch where he usually does his treatments, it feels strange to be here without Percy or Jason.

“Hello, I thought I would update some of the… garish decor in here,” Hades says.

“Yeah, I’ve been meaning to do that. Anyways, what do you want to know about?” Nico replies, gesturing towards his room. Hades points at Nico’s various mobility aids, “I use the wheelchair the most, Leo just made that one custom to me yesterday. Then I have my crutches, which help because they take the weight off my legs. I don’t use the rollator or cane much, usually only just going to eat or around the cabin, but they also help with the pain. I can’t really walk that much without using something anymore because my hips dislocate really easily and it hurts a lot. Apollo gave me some medications and salves to help with the pain, though.”

“That Leo boy has created quite the headache for me recently. Paperwork nightmare.”

“Please don’t do anything, he’s been really good to me. He also has EDS! I like having a friend who’s like me, he gets it.”

“I suppose so, I do want to see you be happy.”

Nico starts to thank his father, but starts coughing from all the talking he’s been doing combined with his normal state in the morning. He stops after a minute, but not before Hades appears in front of him.

“Are you ill? Do I need to call Apollo again?” Hades worriedly asks.

“Not sick, that’s normal for me now. No need for Apollo,” Nico replies as he starts his breathing treatment, “This is a nebulizer. I do them every morning and sometimes at night or if I’m having a bad coughing attack. Sometimes, I need to attach this extra oxygen to it to help me breathe too. I also have inhalers that I do after breakfast and dinner, and when I have less bad coughing attacks. Basically, it’s all so that I can breathe kinda normally. Usually I do my treatments with Percy because he has crappy lungs too.”

Hades sits quietly until Nico shuts off the machine, “And there’s nothing that can be done about this? Ambrosia or nectar?”

“No. Will told me that there’s just too much damage that’s too old. Stuff like getting really sick a lot and just how my body is. Then the air in Tartarus destroyed them even more to the point I’m at now,” Nico explains, “This next part is my Acapella, it can be kind of a lot to watch. I breathe it and it makes me cough. It’s gross, I know”

Nico sets a timer and starts breathing into the Acapella, which quickly makes him double over coughing up the fluid in his lungs. The god looks thoroughly concerned, but Nico ignores that and motions for his father to pass the trash can at his feet. As Nico continues coughing, Hades moves and awkwardly pats his back. When the timer rings, Nico puts all of his breathing treatments away and grabs the rest of his meds.

“The problem is that you have that horrible cough, but then they make you cough more to help you? Mortal bodies make no sense!” Hades declares.

“I know, but the reason I have the horrible cough is because I have too much crap in my lungs. So if I make a point to get out some of it in the morning, then I can do more during the day without having a bunch of coughing attacks where I really can’t breathe. Sorta like what you saw in Chicago,” Nico clarifies before continuing, “This pill is for my POTS, so I don’t constantly feel like I’m about to pass out. Will says that my case is pretty bad, so I have to take it everyday or else I feel really sick. I’m also taking a painkiller today because I sparred a lot yesterday, so my shoulders hurt more than usual, and I still have a long day ahead of me.”

“You have been sparring? Is that not dangerous?” the god inquires.

“Probably is, but it’s more dangerous to not know how. Plus, I’ve been working with Leo and Percy to make techniques that work for me. I’m teaching a sword fighting class this year with a son of Hermes, Connor Stoll. Speaking of which, I’m done with all my medical stuff so I need to get going soon,” Nico says as he transfers to his wheelchair and heads to the door.

“Ah yes, I have a realm to attend to. This was… informative. Remember to visit for dinner. Perhaps in the future, you may bring one of your friends,” Hades replies before disappearing into a burst of shadows. 

At that, Nico makes his way towards the Arena where Jason, Percy, Connor, and Leo are training. Jason and Percy are having a powers-only sparring session, while Leo and Connor are taking turns teaching each other seated fighting strategies. Connor’s using a generic wheelchair to practice and is notably struggling to keep up with the son of Hephaestus, who is literally running circles around him. 

Connor complains, “This isn’t fair! Will gave me a heavy ass chair!” 

“You’re more abled than me, cope!” Leo exclaims as he slams into Connor, knocking him over. Nico makes his way over to the two and quickly disarms Leo with a sly grin, prompting Leo to start melodramatically complaining, “No fair, Nico! This is lateral ableism! I bet you did it because I’m autistic.”

“Wait, what? Lateral what? Those can’t be real words. And why would I disarm you because you’re autistic if I’m autistic too?” Nico asks, holding his hands up in surrender. 

Leo doubles over cackling, which confuses Nico even more. Nico carefully observes the boy, noticing that he’s wearing a slightly singed camp t-shirt and a pair of cargo shorts. He has bronze rings adorning all his fingers, the thumb rings featuring plating that's connected with a chain to matching metal webbing around his wrists. Peeking out from under his shorts are bronze leg braces much like Nico’s, but it appears that Leo has etched them with intricate designs running up the metal.

“I was joking, di Angelo,” Leo explains between laughs, “And those are real words, scout’s honor.”

“Oh,” Nico awkwardly switches the topic, “I like your rings and stuff. They’re cool.”

“They’re actually braces! They keep my fingers and wrists in place in style. I made them when I was bored last night after leaving Percy’s, and Will approved the fit this morning,” Leo replies, “Also you’re autistic too? Sweet!”

“...Did you sleep at all last night?” Nico asks, Leo responding with a grin and finger guns.

“Nico, I am such ass at your fighting style. Please save me,” Connor begs.

Leo suggests that they try fighting sitting on the ground instead, since it's closer to how Connor would use the skill. It ends up being a success. Connor picks up the technique after a few rounds of sparring, albeit still a lot more rocky than Leo and Nico. Percy and Jason join them, volunteering to be the test subjects of Connor, who wants to try teaching the technique to people that aren’t wheelchair users and as used to relying on their arm strength. As they practice, they discuss ways that they’ll build up to teaching the skill, since it takes vastly different muscles to excel in. Eventually, their practicing devolves into 90% bantering on the ground with the occasional sword swing. 

After a couple hours, all the dust starts to get to Nico and he has a particularly bad coughing fit. Even though Nico insists he’s fine to keep sparring, the other demigods maintain that they’re also getting tired and suggest the grassy archery range instead. When they arrive, Will, Cecil, and Pollux are there. Upon seeing Percy with them, Pollux and Will practically jump out of their skin to express overlapping concerns. 

“Artemis likes me now! I pinky promise that I’m not a danger to others anytime I hold a bow. I don’t even shoot backwards anymore! ” Percy promises. Reluctantly, Pollux and Will give him a bow and make a point to guide the rest away from his immediate radius.

“...Do I want to ask?” Jason inquires.

“I shoot Chiron in the ass one time and I’m a danger to myself and others! I shot Geryon through all three hearts! That should earn me some merit!” Percy argues.

“Didn’t you only make that because Hera helped you?” Nico adds.

“Minor details,” Percy replies, “Who told you that even?”

Nico shrugs, “I have my sources.”

It only takes a few arrows for Leo to quickly realize that archery isn’t for him, the movement almost immediately pulling his fingers and wrist out of place despite the braces. He then opts to pull a megaphone out of his tool belt and start live-commentating everyone else. A few rounds and a shoulder subluxation later, Nico joins Leo and adds the occasional deadpan comment. The rest of the demigods keep shooting until the lunch horn sounds. After cleaning up, the group heads towards the Mess Hall together and gets settled at the Big Three table. 

“Oh! Don’t forget about the party in my cabin after the counselor meeting today. Cecil, you can come because the Stolls’ reign will literally never end and you’ve been here long enough,” says Pollux.

Connor dramatically gasps, “Says the guy that’s lived here basically his whole life!”

“Cas and I weren’t even allowed at the counselor meetings until Dad let us move into the cabin when we turned 10! You and Travis lived in actual camp for basically as long as us!” Pollux refutes.

Connor freezes at the mention of Castor. Despite the age difference between Connor and the twins, the fact that they had all grown up together meant they were all fairly close. Almost like solidarity, being the only sets of full siblings at camp for so long. Nico notices how Connor’s grin slightly falters. 

“Hey, none of that. Castor was the party and theater sides of our father’s domains, he’d want any talk about him to be a fuckin rager. None of that sad shit,” Pollux says. 

“That checks, I’ve been invited to a few of his parties in Elysium. Heard wild things about them,” Nico comments.

“Did y’all know we’re originally from New Orleans?” Pollux asks the group, most of them shaking their heads in response, “It’s the current festivities capital of the Greek world. Castor and I usually spent Christmas through Mardi Gras with our mortal family there because it’s when we’re most powerful and the least likely to have attacks. So when he died, we had to have a mortal funeral too. In Nola, it’s tradition that funerals are a celebration to remember the person. The mourning and the joy go hand in hand, that’s how I try to remember him. In the spirit of our heritage and all.”

“Damn, you sure you’re not a Hades legacy or something?” Connor jokes.

Nico groans, “I can’t handle more family, please no.” 

“Come to my party or I’ll look further into my heritage!” Pollux threatens, grinning wildly. 

Nico hesitates and starts anxiously drumming his fingers. I don’t want to let him down, but I also don’t know if I’ll be able to come after my father woke me up so early, oh shit it’s been too long since he said something, “I’ll come if I’m not too tired.”

“I’m morally obliged to say ‘no pressure’ if you can’t come. Dad said I can’t peer pressure people into coming to my parties if I wanna keep having them,” Pollux adds.

“What are they like?” Nico timidly asks. 

“It’s usually the counselors and anybody that survived the Titans who wants to come. Pollux mixes drinks, but I usually smoke with a few others on the porch. It’s really just time to decompress and bitch about demigod stuff with some food,” explains Connor, “Pollux and Castor started having them during the Master Bolt quest as a way to help with intercabin bonding and they stuck ever since.”

“Since when do you smoke?!” the son of Hades exclaims. 

Connor laughs, “That’s what you got from that? Yeah, I have for years now, since before you got here. Just weed, though. Katie grows it for me and Trav in exchange for some mortal snacks. We’re careful about keeping the smoke away from inside, though, so don’t worry. Will would kill us otherwise.”

After lunch, Will suggests going to the arts and crafts center until Leo’s welcome back ceremony in a few hours— special festivities followed by a dinnertime feast as planned by Dionysus. As the harpies begin to clear the Mess Hall, Nico joins Will, Leo, Jason, Percy, Connor, and Pollux in heading towards the art building. Connor and Pollux head towards a heap of jumbled leftover supplies and scraps from projects to find something to get into, while Jason and Percy attempt to clean up the mess before they find anything too dangerous. Nico, Leo, and Will get settled at a table with the box of embroidery floss. Leo immediately digs in and starts weaving together the thread and wire scraps from his tool belt. Will picks out a few colors, but then looks over to see Nico who’s still just sitting there.

“I can teach you how to make a bracelet if you want?” offers Will, “Pick out three colors you like.”

Nico nods and picks out forest green, black, and silver skeins. Will leans closer to show him how to tie the knots, occasionally placing his hand over Nico’s to correct a mistake. It feels electric each time, like the healer’s sun is pulsing through him. Time seems to slip away. I could get used to this. Before he knows it, the bracelet is complete and it’s almost time for the festivities.

He turns to Will and grabs his arm, tying the bracelet among the healer’s others,

“Here, now we can match.”

Will grins, “I'm never taking it off.”

Chapter Text

Soon enough, an announcement for the beginning of Leo's Return Celebration blares through camp. Leo basically books it to the Mess Hall with Connor and Jason; while Nico lags behind with Will, Percy, and Pollux. Nico tells them that he can just meet them there and they can run ahead, but they insist on staying with him anyways. 

In all honesty, he was planning to sneak back to his cabin until the counselor meeting. He’s not exactly thrilled about the prospect of two parties in one day. Even with Will there, it’s still a lot more people than Nico’s comfortable with. He makes it through meals because his table’s always pretty empty, but this is different. Definitely different. The last time Nico was anywhere like this, Bianca was still alive. And the Casino barely counts, besides that he doesn’t remember ever going to a full on party like this. 

“Have y’all ever seen one of my dad’s parties?” Pollux beams, Nico and Percy shake their heads.

“Last one was after Aditya, Beckendorf, and Castor’s quest I think?” Will says, “Damn, We’re old!”

Pollux laughs, “Nico, Percy, you’re in for a treat! Seriously, when he actually tries it’s really cool— not that I’m biased or anything. He must like Leo or owe Hephaestus something, I thought he wouldn’t throw anything for the rest of his sentence after everything.”

“Definitely has a soft spot for Leo, think he reminds him of Beck. Or it’s because Leo sees him for therapy too,” Will replies.

“No offense, but is there anybody Mr. D’s not seeing?” asks Nico. 

The group bursts out laughing, Nico awkwardly laughs along. He’s not completely sure what’s so funny, but figures it’s easier to go along with it. Will glances at Nico, noticing how confused that Nico looks and gathers himself and speaks, “But actually though, he mostly just sees Titanomachy vets that knew Luke. You and Leo are exceptions.”

“I’ve met Luke a few times,” Nico points out.

“I know, but people that really knew him. Like, lived with him or were friends or both. Not that he didn’t fuck you up, but it’s different when you knew him before everything,” explains Will. 

Nico nods understandingly. His mind wanders to what happened that Mr. D made an exception for Leo too. Pollux gives him a look, almost like he can read his mind and is telling him not to ask. 

“Enough of that for now, welcome to the feast!” Pollux declares while grandly gesturing.

The Mess Hall looks almost unrecognizable. It’s bursting at the seams with colorful decorations. Flowers and intricate paper cuttings dance across the columns and flow around the grass. There’s upbeat music blasting and what looks like endless options of food, desserts, and drinks. The camp looks more alive than Nico’s ever seen it before. Leo’s buzzing around the pavilion with Piper, pointing out every detail that he likes. 

“Leo’s got good taste! Come on Nico, I’ll tell you what everything is,” Percy motions for Nico to follow as Pollux splits off to talk to his father. Nico anxiously looks at Will, Percy notices and quickly keeps talking, “Will can come too of course.”

“I need to get someone to interpret, it’s too loud for me here. But I’ll be back before you know it, promise,” Will warmly smiles, disappearing into the crowd. 

Percy walks with Nico to all the tables, eagerly naming what each dish is and listing the ingredients. Of course, with some commentary as well. Nico hasn’t heard of most of the food, so he appreciates how patient Percy is with all of his questions. 

“This is the kind of food I grew up with. I used to go to the carts and hole-in-the-wall places in my neighborhood and do some odd jobs for food. I think you’ll like it, and I’m not just saying that because I like it,” Percy jokes.

Nico glances around the Mess Hall to see that regular table assignments have been abandoned for the day. He keeps scanning the room for Connor or Will or Pollux, but can’t seem to find anybody. Before he can panic, Will appears behind him and waves. To his surprise, Clarisse is with him. 

“Hey Clarisse,” Percy nonchalantly says.

It seems like Nico's the only one confused. He had seen her sign to Will before, but didn't ever imagine that she would be somebody Will would choose to interpret for him. They're just so different. But then again, him and Will are pretty different too. 

“Close your mouth, di Angelo. You're gonna catch flies looking like that,” Clarisse simcoms. 

“Give him a break, he's never seen you interpret for me before. Clarisse is the best hearing signer, besides Kayla, at Camp since she learned growing up with a Deaf friend,” Will explains, “I see you found some food! I’ll go grab a plate, sit down and I’ll come find you. I saw some empty picnic tables on the grass if you wanna get away from the crowd.”

Nico smiles, Will always knows exactly the right thing to say. Gods, he’s so perfect. Percy and Nico get settled at the table, the older boy anxiously awaiting Nico’s reaction to the food he picked out. As predicted, Nico loves the food. It tastes like the food he grew up eating but slightly different, in a good way. After a few minutes, Will and Clarisse join them at the table.

“This food tastes like home, the Harpies gotta add this into the rotation,” Will says, lavishing in the flavors of the feast. 

“Okay, Texas in cargo shorts incarnate,” Clarisse deadpans. 

“Hey! You can’t make fun of me for that today. Leo grew up in Texas too! Making fun of Texas is making fun of Leo, which is basically illegal today,” Will refutes, earning hearty laughs from the rest of the table. 

The four keep bantering until the music abruptly stops and the sound of a crystal glass rings through the air. 

“Hello demigods! I am sure you are all aware why we are here today— to celebrate Leo Valdez’ return! All hail Leonidas Samuel Lyobaa Valdez; son of Hephaestus; god of fire, craftsmen, and the forges; Fire Wielder; Hero of the Prophecy of Seven; Slayer of the goddess of the Earth; Savior of Olympus,” Chiron’s voice booms through the pavilion, as the rest of the demigods kneel, “Lord Dionysus? Would you like to add anything?”

“Good to have you back, you better like the party! And don’t forget about the meeting at 7. It’s still mandatory,” Mr. D says. Nico swears he can see the ghost of a smile on the god’s face as he speaks. 

The festivities continue through the early evening, Nico sticking with Percy, Will, and Clarisse near the outskirts of the party. A few times throughout the festivities Leo or Connor come to say hi before going back to the more hectic area Nico doesn’t dare try to go into. Surprisingly, Nico isn’t raring to get away from the party. It’s nice to spend time with Will, and his other friends of course, and feel like a normal teen. Or what he’s told a normal teen does. As the end of the festivities and the meeting draws closer, the Mess Hall starts to thin out until only the senior campers remain chatting in a circle in the grass. 

“Hey Neeks, try this. It’s a dessert pudding,” Will says, holding out his spoon. Nico gently places his hand over Will’s and takes a bite, “Nicuatole, it’s made with corn. And other stuff, of course. This one has mango in it, like it?”

Nico nods, “It’s good! I didn’t know they could make corn sweet.”

Will laughs and pulls out a second spoon, “Here, we can share.”

“I hate gay people,” Kayla jokes, earning a stern look from Will, “Just kidding, just kidding! I’m gay people! Gay people are great! Gay rights!” 

“Real smooth save there, Kayla,” Lou Ellen rolls her eyes, “It’s 5 till, we should get to the meeting. Don’t wanna upset the immortals.”

The group makes their way to the Big House and gets settled around the ping pong table. Nico doesn’t have a single clue what the meeting could even be about, what could have changed so much in the last week. Before he can think more, Chiron stands up, 

“This will hopefully be brief. We need to finalize plans for the year, teaching assignments, and autumn schedules,” Chiron explains, “Mr. Grace, care to start?”

Jason begins to talk about his plans, which are being a full-time camper and helping with a Roman history class between his shrine-related duties. When he finishes, Chiron looks at Percy to speak. 

“I still need to figure out school stuff. I got expelled again. Just… Can I tell you later?” Percy asks, worriedly analyzing Annabeth’s reaction out of the corner of his eye as he holds her hand. She looks a mix of confused and upset. He turns to his girlfriend, “I’ll explain later tonight, ‘Beth.”

“You have until the Saturday before NYCPS starts to decide, cabins close the next day at 5pm. No exceptions,” Mr. D sternly says. 

Percy shoots a nervous smile and the next counselors take their turns. Nico likes hearing about all the different classes that’ll run over the next 9 months. It’s been so long since he’s been in school, he wonders if this will be better than how it’s been in the past. Maybe I’m too behind? I can’t remember the last time I finished a full year of school. Nico is snapped out of his thoughts with the feeling of Will gently squeezing his hand. 

“Sorry! I’m staying here. Teaching Non-Matter Manipulation with Will, Sword Fighting with Connor, and Underworld 101. I’m fine with any schedule. Uh… yeah. That’s it,” Nico awkwardly trails off at the end. 

Will flashes him a smile and a thumbs up, then the rest of the counselors continue taking their turns. As expected, the meeting ends pretty quickly. It's hard to keep the attention of a bunch of demigods with ADHD, anyways. It's easier to have short meetings often than one long meeting. 

“Party starts in an hour! See y'all there!” Pollux exclaims as he leaves the room. Chiron pretends not to hear. 

The room clears quickly. The Stolls and Percy go with Pollux to help him get set up. Somewhat shockingly, Annabeth doesn’t join them. Nico figures it’s almost certainly because Percy’s trying to procrastinate the conversation he promised Annabeth. Pollux asks Will if he’s coming too, but Will waves him off and says that he’ll be there later. At that, Nico and Will start heading towards the Hades cabin. 

“I didn’t know you were so close with Pollux,” Nico mentions.

“We used to be pretty tight, but drifted apart a couple years back. We were in the same friend group. Plus, he’s one of the last counselors left who took Beckendorf and I’s ASL class back when we used to run it,” Will explains. 

Nico tilts his head, “I didn’t hear about an ASL class at the meeting? When did it stop?”

“Kayla doesn’t wanna teach and I can’t do it alone. The class died with Beck,” Will solemnly explains, “But, I miss it a lot. I would drop Biology in a heartbeat if it meant it could run again. It was really popular too, and now people keep forgetting I’m Deaf without it. My CIs only do so much. I try not to get too mad about it, but it’s annoying when people get pissed at me for missing something.”

Nico nods, “Would you teach me sometime? ASL.” 

Will smiles widely and eagerly shakes his hands, “Yes! We can start now if you want?”

“Sure! How does it… work?” asks Nico.

“We used to teach it completely voices off, but I don’t like doing that to start off for 1:1. This is how you introduce yourself,” Will verbally explains before switching to SimCom, “Hi, my name is W-I-L-L. Name sign Will,” he shows Nico slowly. “Your name is N-I-C-O.”

Nico carefully copies the signs the best he can, Will correcting his mistakes gently. 

“In Deaf culture, we have something called name signs. I got mine in school from friends, you have to get a name from a Deaf person. You can’t make one up if you’re hearing,” Will explains, “Sometimes people with short names don’t have a name sign, but I used to go by William so it makes sense that I have one.” 

Will keeps showing Nico more signs, going through each of the cabins and describing what they look like. Nico catches on pretty fast, noticing patterns in the grammar structure. He can’t tell if Will is just being nice or actually means it when he compliments his signing. Nonetheless, Will seems happy, and so is Nico. Soon enough, an hour and a half has passed and it’s time to go across the square to Pollux’s cabin.

“It gets pretty crowded there sometimes, but Pollux sets up a decent amount of seating. I’d recommend your crutches or cane if you have the energy for it. We’ll make space if you don’t though, no worries,” Will suggests. 

Nico nods in agreement, “I’ll do crutches, if I can sit I’ll be okay.”

“Oh! Also, I read that alcohol can trigger POTS. You do you of course, but Pollux already makes a lot of non-alcoholic drinks that taste just as good as the real deal if you want that,” Will says, “Personally? I usually do the mocktails, but tonight’s special so I’m planning to drink a bit.”

At that, the two head to Cabin 12. Nico faintly hears music and sees colorful lights glowing from the windows. They arrive inside to see a comfortable looking cabin with a Murphy bed. Covering the walls are bookshelves filled with different plays and cookbooks, broken up with different knick knacks. Vines cascade up the sides of the shelves, and the room smells faintly of fresh strawberries. 

Pollux is in the corner at a bar, pouring drinks out of a cocktail shaker for Clarisse and Chris. Percy’s standing near some speakers, fielding requests for songs on an MP3 player as he stands with his arm around Annabeth’s shoulders. Connor and Travis are nearly bouncing around the room as they talk with different groups of demigods. 

“I’m gonna go get a drink, I’ll get you something you’ll like. Alcohol or nah?” asks Will.

“No alcohol. I’m gonna go sit, I think,” Nico replies, realizing that he's feeling pretty lightheaded just from the walk over. Will flashes a thumbs up before disappearing towards the bar. 

Nico gets settled in a comfy chair across from Leo, who opted for his wheelchair, with Piper and Jason sitting on the floor forming a small circle. Piper is sipping on a hard lemonade she’s sharing with Jason. Nico looks over to the bar to see Will signing with Pollux as they take shots together. He’s not in any particular rush for his drink, so he turns back to the group.

“Thirsty? You can have some of mine if you want. No alcohol, basically just juice and soda with some fruit in it,” Leo offers.

Nico accepts and takes a few sips before handing it back, “You don’t drink?”

“My stomach can’t handle it. It’s like a one-way ticket to an instant flare,” Leo explains, “Plus, it tastes nasty to me. I like my fancy juice.”

“You're such a liar,” Piper jokes, turning to Nico “He likes having bitters in his mocktails to get the taste.”

“Beauty Queen’s out here exposing all my secrets, and on Leo Day nonetheless! Don't you have to be nice to me?” Leo banters back. Before Piper can reply, Percy walks over with Annabeth and the two join the circle, holding a bottle of Coke and a mixed drink respectively.

“Realized I never actually welcomed you back, it’s good to have you back dude!” Percy says as he daps up Leo. Then turning to Nico, he notices the younger boy doesn’t have a cup, “Do you want something to drink?”

“Just water, maybe? Will’s supposed to be bringing me something,” Nico replies. 

“Here, take my water bottle. I haven’t opened it yet,” Jason says as he tosses it.

Nico smiles and the group keeps lightheartedly chatting. It feels nice to be with his friends, and he’s surprisingly not as overwhelmed as he thought he’d be without Will. Leo’s fidgeting with some parts, which Nico curiously comments on. 

The son of Hephaestus eagerly explains that he’s making something called a TENS unit for himself, “It’s supposed to block pain signals. Usually it’s a whole machine, but I’m trying to make it so it’s all contained in the patch. Also, trying to make it so the stickers don’t rip my skin off. That always happens to me with mortal TENS units.”

“Does it work?” asks Nico.

“Sorta,” Leo shrugs, “My baseline is really fucked, so I’m always in like… wild amounts of pain. Even compared to other EDS patients. So it doesn’t cure me or anything, but it helps for sure. I only use it on my back or hips, since they cause a lot of problems for me and I can’t brace them without it being sensory hell.”

Nico nods and tunes into the other conversations his friends are having. They seem to be debating the best mortal candy bars. He's heard of most of the candies they’re talking about, but doesn't think he’s ever tried them. Side effects of being from a different decade. After a few minutes of listening, he realizes that Percy’s been staying quiet. He looks closer at the older boy and notices how tightly he’s holding Annabeth’s hand as his eyes scan the room repeatedly. Suddenly, Nico feels a weight on the back of his chair.

“Heya Neeks!” The son of Hades turns to see Will Solace leaning on the chair holding two drinks, “Here, it’s cranberry juice, sprite, mint, and an orange twist.” 

Will swings around and sits on the armrest of Nico’s chair, resting his arm across the back cushion and joins the conversation seamlessly. Nico notices how Will’s Southern drawl is more pronounced than usual. He likes it, though. It sounds as smooth and warm as Will always is, like he isn’t trying so hard to mask. Instantly, Nico feels more comfortable at the party. 

“I love this song!” Will gasps, turning to Nico with an outstretched hand, “Come dance with me!”

“Okay, okay, I’m coming,” Nico surrenders, grabbing one of his crutches for balance and using the other to take Will’s hand as the blonde leads them to the dance floor. 

Jason, Piper, and Leo follow closely behind them and they all form a circle as they dance together. Will’s still next to Nico, holding his hand as they dance. Piper takes a picture of the group on a polaroid camera, promising to make copies for everybody. 

“Your face is like… really pretty,” Will giggles.

“Whatever you say, Solace,” Nico laughs. 

“No like… you’re so pretty! And nice!” Will elaborates, then ruffles Nico’s hair, “and your hair is soft!”

“Uh… thanks? You’re nice too,” Nico replies.

Will lets go of Nico’s hand to gently bring his hand to the son of Hades’ face, he warmly speaks, “Your face skin is soft too, di Angelo.”

Nico feels like he could relish in this feeling forever, bringing his own hand to cover Will’s. Warmth radiates from the son of Apollo, his smile shining brighter than any of the lights in the cabin. In that moment, it feels like it’s only him and Will in the world. 

Suddenly, he hears a small voice in his head. He tries to ignore it and keeps dancing with Will. The thoughts grow louder until it feels like he can barely hear the music anymore. 

Nico abruptly drops his hand, “Sorry, I need to go,” he apologizes, stumbling towards the chair to grab his other crutch before rushing out the door.

“Wait, Nico! I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—” Will tries to catch up to him.

He faintly hears a different voice, “Let him be, Will. I’ll check on him.”

Nico firmly shuts the door and scrambles to his cabin before he can hear anything else.

Chapter Text

“I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields.” - Exodus 10:5-6

Nico slams his cabin door behind him and throws his crutches to the side before collapsing to the floor. His mind is moving at a million miles a second and everything is moving too fast but also too slow all at the same time.

What the fuck just happened? That had to be a prank. He has to be messing with me. I can’t—

Even though he knows it’s dead silent in the room, it feels as loud as the Fields of Punishment with how rapid his thoughts are moving. It’s louder than any sound he’s ever heard. Like thousands of locusts descending upon the land, and he’s the only person that can see them. Like a god’s voice. Like Eros.

“Love is on no one’s side.”

“I scare you very, very much. Face me.”

“You are a coward, afraid of yourself and your feelings.”

“Will you hide among the dead, as you always do?”

“And so you run away again. From your friends, from yourself.”

Nico rocks back and forth on the floor, begging for it to stop. He’s breathing way faster than he should be, but at the same time can’t imagine ever being able to slow it. The noise morphs from Eros’ voice to something that Nico can’t quite identify. It feels like a collection of everybody he’s ever known, whether he can remember them or not. Suddenly, he’s flashing through different places— Diocletian's Palace, Westover Hall, Camp, Venice, DC. He doesn’t know where he is anymore. He’s everywhere but nowhere. 

“You will always be alone.”

“Nothing but a child of sin, destined for hell.”

“Disgusting, disgrace, disappointment.”

“Freak, never belonging anywhere.”

“Bianca deserves to be alive instead of you.”

The one feels like a punch in the gut. At this point, Nico’s sobbing uncontrollably. He can’t even get up to try to get to the bathroom for water. It feels like it’s miles away. There’s no sign of respite. He’s trapped. In the middle of an ocean, of a palace, of a hotel, of Tartarus. Everything is rushing through his head so quickly he can’t keep track of anything. His body, his location, sounds— everything feels like an amorphous, overwhelming blob. The world feels like it’s on fire, flooding, and freezing over all at the same time. 

Suddenly, Nico feels something touch him and he flinches away. He quickly pulls his arms in front of his face in a defensive position and tries to spit out a plea for mercy. Without much success, as he’s still sobbing and hyperventilating. 

Gods, get it together. Just once. Fucking mess. 

“I’m not going to hurt you,” a voice says, “It’s just Jason here, we’re in your cabin.”

Nico tentatively uncovers his eyes to see that the voice isn’t lying, and it is actually only Jason crouched on the floor by him. He quickly covers his face again when he realizes that he’s absolutely sobbing in front of the son of Jupiter. He feels something cold on his leg, shocking him at first before he figures out that it’s one of his ice packs. Nico moves his hands away from his face, keeping them firmly planted on the sides of his head still. He still can't make himself calm down. It’s starting to make his chest hurt, making the world feel even blurrier. 

“Can I touch your hands?” Jason asks. Nico nods and Jason carefully brings his hands over Nico’s and pulls them away from his head, “You’re hurting yourself doing that, Nico.”

Jason brings their hands down to Nico’s lap on top of the ice pack, gently squeezing them in rhythmic intervals while he quietly repeats, “I’m here, you’re safe.”

Gradually, Nico’s sobbing slows and his breathing evens out. The two sit in silence until Nico speaks up, “Thanks, you didn’t have to.”

Jason shrugs, “I wanted to help.”

Nico takes a deep breath, “It was about—”

“I know,” Jason cuts him off, “You don’t have to explain yourself.”

“Thanks,” a small smile sneaks onto Nico’s face. 

Jason smiles back and then gets up, he looks around the room— it’s objectively a mess. Between everything with Leo coming back and being busy with… other stuff, he just hasn’t had the time to clean anything. Without having to ask, Jason starts putting things away where they’re supposed to go, hanging up Nico’s crutches that were thrown to the side, and dusting some of the shelves. 

“You don’t have to do that,” Nico says.

“I know, but I wanna,” Jason replies, “I would help Leo like this sometimes. They have memories of me in Nevada doing this, which obviously I don’t. But when we were at Camp before, I’d help Leo keep things clean when he couldn’t. It’s something I’m good at.”

It makes sense, Nico supposes. He never really thought of it logistically, but Leo’s offhandedly mentioned a few things that make it add up. It reminds him of earlier tonight, when he was explaining he has pretty high pain levels. That would definitely make cleaning hard, and if there’s one thing about Camp Jupiter it’s that it forces somebody to know how to be neat.

At the same time, it makes Nico wonder if Jason feels like he’s not good at other stuff. He’s easily one of the most powerful people he knows, was instrumental in the final battle, and also just a really good friend to him. Why would he think that he’s not good at being a friend?

“I think you’re good at more than just cleaning up my mess,” Nico comments after realizing it’s been a little too long. 

Jason shrugs, “Piper’s better at this sorta stuff. It’s like… it’s like there’s something just wrong with me. Like I know logically that Leo is fine, that he’s been dealing with this his whole life. But gods, it just freaks me the fuck out sometimes to see him so… yanno? And Piper says it’s not even that bad! That’s what gets to me, it makes me freeze up. But I’m good at cleaning, I know how to clean.”

“I still think you’re a good friend, even if you get freaked out dealing with my shit,” Nico reassures, “You and Piper are different people. It’s okay that you do things differently.”

“I was really bad at this stuff when I first woke up. Borderline, no objectively, mean to Leo. Did you know that they don’t really let disabled people be in Camp Jupiter at all? And you can’t qualify for New Rome without service? I had never known anybody disabled before, I was taught it was a weakness. I just couldn’t understand how he was supposed to be a hero. It was horrible, I was horrible,” Jason regrettably explains. 

“But you learned, right? That’s what matters. And you’re trying to be better now. I mean, people change. That’s our whole thing. You decided to step down as Praetor, stay here, you’re figuring your shit out,” Nico rambles, half trying to find his point, “My shit’s different than yours, obviously. But it’s hard for me sometimes to remember that things are different here, different now. We both grew up in pretty different worlds, that’s a hard thing to forget when it’s drilled into you.” 

They sit together in silence for a few beats, “I shouldn’t have made this about me. Piper tells me that I’m not supposed to do that when I’m trying to comfort people, sorry,” Jason apologizes.

Nico waves him off, “I like the distraction. It’s nice to get out of my head, focus on something else. Look, if I was mad at you, it’d be a lot more obvious. I’m not exactly known for my subtlety, just ask Percy,” he smirks.

“I know you and Hazel have it hard being from totally different decades and I shouldn’t complain. I just… sometimes I feel like I have no fucking clue what I’m doing. And people always look at me like I’m supposed to know everything,” Jason runs his hand through his hair.

That’s the thing about being a child of the Big Three, Greek or Roman— everyone always thinks that they’re the answer to everything, that they’ll have all the answers. Most of the time, Nico’s just winging it and hoping for it to not go completely wrong. And most of the time, it does go completely wrong. Or it goes wrong in so many ways that by some divine miracle it ends up vaguely working in his favor. But that kind of pressure is bound to break anybody. 

“Hazel always gets mad at me when I try to compare it, she says that it’s a waste of time when we both ended up being hurt in the end anyways,” Nico tries to explain, “So I guess what I’m saying is that I think you’re allowed to complain, and my sister would probably say the same. Shit’s hard.”

Jason laughs, “Yeah, shit’s hard.”

Nico glances at the clock, “As much as this has been really nice and I like talking, I think I’m gonna go to bed now. You can head out if you wanna. I’ll be okay.”

“You sure? I’m fine with staying, promise,” Jason offers, standing up and offering his forearms to help Nico up.

He accepts the offer and makes his way over to his bed to tip back his nighttime meds, “Yeah, I’m feeling a lot better. I’m exhausted though, I’ll probably fall asleep in the next ten minutes. Nothing to stay about, I swear. I’ll be okay. I really appreciate it, though.”

“Anytime, dude. Take care of yourself, okay?” Jason says from the doorway, “And thanks for everything.”

“Anytime. Night, Grace.”

Jason heads out and Nico continues getting ready for bed. As he lays in bed, he thinks about his day— which was pretty good all things considered. The parties were pretty fun overall, and it was nice to spend the day with his friends. Will was certainly more… straightforward than usual, but it wasn’t necessarily bad. If his brain wasn’t so dumb, he’d probably still be at the party dancing with Will. 

As his meds kick in and sleep draws closer to him, he thinks about how radiant Will was tonight. He could certainly get used to his warmth. The last image in his head before he falls asleep is the image of Will laughing as they danced together. 

Chapter Text

Nico wakes up to sunshine beaming through his windows and the sound of mourning doves echoing through the camp. Feeling energized, he gets ready and heads out to face the day. As soon as he walks outside, he hesitates to face the day— glancing in the direction of the Apollo Cabin, then the Mess Hall, then the Apollo Cabin again. Nico takes a deep breath and heads towards the gilded building. He knocks on the door, which swings open to reveal Kayla with some wild bedhead.

“Oh, hi Nico! Will’s in the bathroom, I’ll get him,” Kayla cheerily says, “You are here for him, right? He spent half of last night fretting about something, but he wouldn’t say any specifics because he’s evil to me like that. I expect full details later.” 

Nico nods and Kayla disappears into the cabin. He spots Will’s bed, which looks unmade with half of the blankets on the floor next to it. Awkwardly, he stands in the open doorway, not sure if he’s welcome in or not since Kayla didn’t say anything. He’s heard it’s taboo to walk into others’ cabins without an invite. Right now he just feels like a vampire— dressed all in black and waiting to be invited into the sunny cabin. 

Austin comes over and starts chatting with Nico about his most recent musical escapades. He talks about how he recently picked up the upright bass and how he’s been on a bluegrass kick, showing Nico a few songs he's been working on on an MP3 player. But the other campers ignore him for the most part, just trying to fight for the bathroom sinks to get ready for the day. Some younger campers dramatically complain about letting mosquitoes in with the door open for so long, shouting at Will to hurry up already. He hears Kayla yell back that they should know Will can’t hear them yet and to deal with it or learn enough ASL for some direct action.

Austin turns around and scolds them too, “Cope! This is for Will’s love life! Gods know that boy needs something better to do besides the infirmary and pestering us. Man’s got no life. Least we can do is help him out with this one and deal with a few mosquitoes.”

A hand lightly smacks Austin on the back of his head, “You little shit, I have a life!” Will pops out from behind Austin and pushes him out of the doorway. 

Austin laughs and jokingly puts his arms up in surrender, “I’m just sayin’ what I’m seein’, don’t shoot the messenger! They were all thinking it! You comin’ home all Eeyore-like at gods know what hour!”

“Get outta here! Reading me like that. Mark my words, I’ll put you on Archery with 11!” Will threatens his brother before turning to Nico and smiling awkwardly. He stands on the other side of the door threshold fidgeting with his bracelets as he stares at Nico like he’s trying to find his words, “Uh… do you wanna go for a walk maybe?”

“Sure,” Nico smiles, “I know a good spot.”

The two make their way towards the far end of the waterfront at the edge of the woods— a spot that’s almost always empty. Especially in the mornings. Nico found this spot back when he was first at Camp and got bored. The two sit down on a log at the edge of the tide. The sound of the waves crashing against the shoreline and the faint smell of the sea wafts through the air calms him. 

One time, Nico read a book in his father’s library about the ocean. Usually he’d pass it up, but it shocked him so much that it was even there considering how bitter his father is about his brothers. It said that shores are a battlefield, ebbing and flowing decorated with the dead. The seashells and smoothened rocks are evidence of the battle, signs of what was once there. Nico wasn’t confused after that. 

Will breaks the silence and starts rambling, “I’m sorry, I wasn’t even that drunk. I knew what I was doing. I thought you were flirting back, and I’ve always been bad at figuring that out. That’s a bad excuse, I know. I’m not trying to make excuses, I just wanna explain. Because like… I definitely meant everything I said but it wasn’t fair of me to just spring that on you and I totally get if you don’t wanna be friends and it’s awkward because I scared you off and—”

“Solace, take a breath,” Nico cuts off Will’s spiralling, “It wasn’t your fault that I ran off. It was really nice dancing with you. I liked it. I just… I got freaked out because I started thinking too much about other things, it wasn’t you.”

Will anxiously run his hands up and down his legs, “Still, it was my fault that I was being all stupid and I should’ve known better than to drink as much as I did but it’s just been so shitty lately and I know it’s bad to drink to cope but gods know I’m not always the healthiest and I should’ve been in better control and now you’re probably pissed at me and—”

Nico places his hand over the son of Apollo’s and interlocks their fingers, “Will, I’m not mad at you. Jason and I didn’t tell the whole story of the last quest. When we were at Diocletian's Palace, Eros did this whole thing about how I had to face him. To face love. He wasn’t in any visible form so it was like he was everywhere all at once. He kept saying all this stuff and showing visions from my past. He made me admit why I left camp in the first place… that it was because I had a crush on Percy. And I hated myself for it. And Jason keeps telling me it’s different now, but there’s this part of me that still thinks it’s gonna get me killed. I just… I got too in my head last night and started having all these flashbacks. It’s not your fault, I really did like dancing with you last night.”

“I’m sorry that happened to you, it’s so shitty to be outed. You didn’t deserve that,” Will says, squeezing Nico’s hand, “Do you still think you’re gonna get killed here for being gay?”

“How much do you know about Italy?” Nico asks in response. 

Will shakes his head, “Not much, really.”

Nico takes a deep breath, “I only ever knew a fascist Italy. By the time my family left, it was pretty bad. My mom got cut off by her family because of Bianca and I— everyone was Catholic back then and being a single mother was a sin. We lived in the only place she could afford, a poorer area where a lot of Romani people lived too. There were constantly soldiers on the street, rounding up anybody they could. One day, I told my momma I thought a boy was pretty. She told me I can never say that again, or else the soldiers would take us all away and shoot us. We left for DC pretty fast after that. And you know what happened after that.”

“I’m sorry you had to be so afraid, it sucks that you had to learn that so early. I think that you’re so perfect, all of you,” Will sincerely replies, “Do you wanna hear about what’s all changed since then? I imagine you haven’t had the time to catch up on history yet.”

Nico nods, “I think that’d be nice. People keep telling me it’s different now, but nobody says how it’s different.”

Will launches into a monologue about queer history in the U.S., Nico is absolutely mesmerized by the sheer display of knowledge and actual evidence that things are different now. Before he knows it, Will concludes his spiel, “It’s not perfect, but it’s getting better everyday. At least I’d like to think so. Or hope so.”

“That sounds… wow,” Nico pauses as he processes everything, “People keep saying especially here it’ll be fine. Like all the stories in Ancient Greece aren’t tragedies.”

“They’re definitely talking about my cabin, basically my entire cabin’s some shade of queer and everybody knows it. But basically, it’s weirder for campers to be homophobic than it is to be gay,” Will reassures Nico.

“Hey Will?” asks Nico, Will raises his eyebrow in response, “I’m like… really hungry right now. Can we go to breakfast?”

Will lets out a hearty laugh, “Of course, Nico. Thought you’d never ask, I’m starvin’ too!”

The two make their way towards the Mess Hall and get settled with their plates at the Big Three Table. Nobody else is there yet, but Will still sits next to Nico and rests one of his hands on the other boy’s knee as they eat. It feels electric to Nico in all the best ways. As they talk, Will occasionally points at something and shows him the sign for it. Nico tries to hold back his smiles each time that Will touches his hand to correct his handshapes or movements, the warmth from the other boy radiating through his body. 

In return, Nico tells him the Italian word for each thing, slowly repeating each word as he faces the other boy. Will admits that he can’t really understand what Nico’s saying, but thinks that he sounds nice either way. He attempts to repeat the words back, but ends up getting them so wrong that Nico has to stop himself from laughing. 

“You can’t laugh at me! I’m trying, I swear, Neeks,” Will jokes, “Say it again, maybe this time I’ll get it. Face me. Are you rolling your R’s or something? Go slower.”

“I’ve been facing you!” Nico jabs back, “See, look at your face looking at me.”

At that moment, Jason sits down at the table and grins, “I see you’re doing better this morning, Nico. Glad to see, sleep well?”

“Yeah, thanks again for last night. You sleep alright?” Nico replies.

“Yep! I went back to the party to say goodnight to Piper and then went to bed, didn’t wanna be out past curfew knowing my luck. Also, Leo says thanks for coming by. I didn’t know you two were close?” asks Jason.

Nico shrugs, “Only recently. We didn’t talk during the quest. Even though his EDS is super different from mine, it’s nice having somebody that gets it.”

“When we get another Deaf camper, it’s over for all of you,” Will quips. 

“He really liked that you asked about what he was making. Piper told me he really loves when people actually care about what he’s building,” says Jason.

“Can confirm that. Our autism’s compatible like that since he builds so much medical equipment,” Will nods in agreement. 

“It seemed really cool, he was building something for his pain but it was really tiny. He knows a lot about that kind of stuff, I didn’t understand what it was really. I dunno how he could even see it in the dark ass cabin,” Nico compliments.

Will laughs, “Leo will build any time, any weather, any size, any conditions. I truly don’t know how that boy made that entire ship basically alone in 6 months. I’m still trying to get him to take a job in the infirmary, but I think the Ares cabin is also trying to get him to build for them. His work ethic reminds me of some people,” he dramatically eyes Nico. 

“What? No! I don’t build stuff,” Nico defends himself. 

“Oh my bad, of course. You only hyperfixate on Underworld stuff so hard that you disappear for a week and know literally everything any mortal could know about the realm. Not impressive at all,” Will sarcastically replies.

Nico rolls his eyes, “Okay Mr. Has Siblings Actively Saying He Has No Life,”

“I feel like I’m interrupting something. Like I’m here and part of this conversation, but I’m interrupting it,” Jason mutters. 

Will laughs and then shows Nico a sign, an N handshape that brushes up against his chest twice, “Here, this is your name sign. It's because you always know how to make me happy. Unless you want something edgier, then I suppose I can adjust accordingly. Make an exception for you,” Will takes his hands in N handshapes and dramatically crosses them in front of his face and grins, “Darkness! But with an N for Nico!”

Nico jokingly pouts, then smiles and repeats the first name sign, “I love it.”

Jason sighs and puts his head in his hands, “Oh my gods.”

Chapter Text

Breakfast continues normally, Nico and Will moving on to talk about their plans for the day. Piper comes a few minutes later and sits next to Jason, then Leo joins the group and the five demigods continue chatting for the rest of the meal. As they clean up their dishes, Jason looks over to the Athena table with a confused expression.

“Did Percy already finish eating?” asks Jason.

The other demigods all shake their heads in response.

“I haven’t seen him since last night at the party,” Nico recalls.

“I think I heard him talking outside the cabin when I was heading out,” Piper adds. 

Leo grimaces for a split second, then quickly masks the expression, “Nico, how you feel about dropping by to check on Ocean Boy? We can stop to grab any meds you need first.”

Nico’s confused, but agrees and heads towards his cabin with Leo. He packs his morning meds into a backpack, which Leo offers to carry on the back of his chair, and makes their way to the Poseidon cabin. They approach the door, which is firmly shut and all the lights inside appear to be off. Just like the last time the two were there.

“Can you knock? I can’t loud enough, fucks up my hands,” Leo asks. Nico knocks on the door and Leo yells out, “Percy!? It’s Leo and Nico!”

They wait for a response that doesn’t come. Nico knocks again but louder and calls out himself, “Percy? You in there?”

No response again, Leo looks more worried, “We’re gonna come in, don’t be naked!” 

The only light in the cabin is from a dim lamp on the nightstand. It’s just enough to see a silhouette sitting hunched over on the edge of the bed, feet planted on the floor and muscles tensed, one hand holding something to their face. The second thing that Nico notices is the noise— a low gurgling wheeze. Nico turns on the lights to see an alarmingly pale Percy, with every breath his body moving like it’s doing everything it can to get air. He weakly points at a blue cart filled with meds and machines next to his bed. 

“Shit, Percy!” Leo rushes over, “Fuck, none of the meds are labelled!”

Nico follows closely behind and recognizes enough of the medications’ color coding system. He quickly dumps an ampule of a rescue treatment into a nebulizer machine and switches it on as he attaches oxygen. Leo holds the mask to Percy’s face. 

After what feels far too long, Percy pulls the mask away and starts coughing so hard he gags. Nico kicks a trashcan in front of the older boy just in time for him to get sick. When the fit ends, Percy holds the mask back up to his face himself and finishes the treatment. The machine shuts itself off and Percy slips to the floor to pour in another round of medication. Leo reaches for a familiar red call button hooked on the side of the cart.

“No,” Percy rasps, stopping Leo’s hand with his own, “Not yet.”

Leo holds up his hands in surrender, “Alright, alright. I won’t. But if this one doesn’t help enough, then I’m calling Will. Deal?”

Percy nods. Nico keeps looking around the room more closely. On the floor is a tangled mess of tubes that connect to a large machine next to Percy’s bed. Littering his nightstand and in a basket next to the bed are countless handheld devices, medications, and inhalers; some that Nico recognizes from their morning treatments together but most he’s never seen before. Behind the couch sits a shelf filled with different sizes of oxygen concentrators and nebulizers, replacement tubing, baskets of masks and mouthpieces, and other devices that Nico can’t begin to recognize. A bulky vest connected to another machine sits at the foot of his bed. 

The second treatment ends and Percy shuts off the nebulizer, picking the tubing up off the ground and placing it on his face and around his ears. He’s breathing a lot better now, but undoubtedly still wheezing. Nico goes to the bathroom and gets Percy a glass of water.

“Thanks,” Percy says, taking a sip and pointing to the end of his bed, “The vest? Turn it on? I can try reaching.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Nico replies as he follows Percy’s fragmented instructions, watching him set up yet another treatment. His hands are shaking so much that he barely can. 

He shoots a curious look to the older teen. Now that he thinks of it, he’s never seen the son of Poseidon before breakfast— they always meet up during or after. The vest begins vibrating and Percy starts coughing again, harder than Nico's ever seen him before. It’s scary. Leo’s chatting like he completely expected this, talking about his plans for today and the projects he’s been working on. After some time, Percy shuts off the vest’s machine and leans up against his bed frame, closing his eyes and taking as deep of breaths as he can manage. 

“It’s normal. Every morning. Can't go out without,” Percy explains, still out of breath.

“Flaring?” Leo asks.

Percy nods, “Smoke. Was too close. My fault.”

“Nah, wasn't anybody's fault,” Leo assures, “Was it when you went outside to talk with Annabeth?”

Percy nods again, “I was fine. ‘Till after talking. She left, it got bad.”

 Leo hums along and gets up to rifle through the freezer to find a breakfast sandwich, heating it up then bringing it to Percy. The three of them sit quietly as the son of Poseidon eats breakfast. The only sounds are of the oxygen concentrator hissing with each of Percy’s wheezy breaths. When he finishes eating, Nico does his morning treatments alongside Percy.

Finally, Percy feels well enough to speak more than a few words at a time, “Thanks, you guys really saved my ass there. I’d been getting worse all night, but by the time I realized how bad it was I couldn’t get the treatment going. Cigarette smoke really messes me up a lot more than I thought it would, I guess. Haven’t been around it since losing the Curse of Achilles.”

“I’m glad we came by,” Leo says.

Nico nods, “That was a pretty bad one. I don't think I've ever seen you like that.”

“Yeah, I get a lot of bad asthma attacks but really bad ones like that freak me out— when I can’t even get enough air to cough. I… I haven’t been the most truthful with you guys. My lungs are a lot worse than I let on. I begged Will to let me spar, my lung function’s still horrible, I gotta do treatments every four hours. For fuck’s sake, I’m aboutta drop out of school because of it!” Percy pauses to cough, “I'm just so fuckin sick of not being able to breathe.”

“It's tiring,” Nico hums along.

“I've been sick since the Labyrinth. Two years. Every time I get a break, I get hit with shit like this! And it's always ‘oh it's just one more treatment,’ they say. But it's not like I can say no to it, what other choice do I have? Not like Apollo will ever give me anything to actually help!” Percy vents, hitting the floor in frustration, “And this floor is fucking uncomfortable as shit!”

“Do you wanna move to the couch?” Nico asks. 

Percy looks over to the couch like it’s miles away and sighs, “It’s fine.”

“I can help you?” offers Nico.

The eldest teen waves him off, “You don't gotta, I can just go back to bed. Or just stay here. Now that I think of it, maybe the floor isn’t that bad.” 

“Everyone knows that the couch is the best place to be during a nasty flare. C’mon, I'll help too,” Leo says, Percy hesitantly agreeing, “Turn yourself so Nico and your bed’s on your sides. Push yourself up on your bed while Nico lifts, then I can help once you’re standing.”

Nico helps Percy to his feet, then Leo gets on the other side to support him and they slowly help him walk to the couch. Percy's out of breath again by the time he flops down on the couch. He draws his legs up to his body, making himself look far smaller than he actually is as he rests in the corner of the sofa. He sits for a minute, trying to catch his breath and wincing as he rubs his chest trying to get any relief.

“No offense Percy, but you kinda look miserable. Got anything to help?” asks Leo. 

Percy shakes his head, “Just Advil. Doesn’t work though.”

“I have some stronger painkillers I could get you?” Leo offers.

“No opioids,” Percy answers, “You guys can go. It'll be boring here.”

“It’s okay, I’ll stay,” Nico replies.

“You can’t get rid of us that easily. Didn’t you know? I’m a Flare Land expert,” Leo smirks, “Need anything? Anyone? Food?”

“Nah, I’ll do it,” Percy not-so-convincingly responds, as he launches into another fit. He eyes a machine that’s sitting next to the couch, but stays where he is, “Eventually.”

Nico scoffs, “Yeah right.” 

He then grabs the machine that Percy looked at. It looks like a nebulizer machine, but the tubing’s much larger and the mask wraps around the head with two thick nose pieces. He puts it on the couch next to Percy, who seamlessly puts it on. Instantly, he looks more relaxed. Nico must have looked more curious than he meant to, because Percy catches on. 

“It’s called a BiPAP,” Percy says, “It’s like regular oxygen, but pressurized. Sometimes, I can’t breathe enough for even the high flow concentrators to help. I don’t need it too often, just when it’s a really bad flare and I get all nauseous and shit.”

“How the fuck did you hide this for so long?” Nico accidentally wonders aloud.

Percy laughs, coughing more before replying, “Camp never saw me when it was really bad. I’d get these emergency interventions from Apollo timed just right for me to come to camp and pass as healthy enough. If I needed to, I’d just stay in here and say it’s too messy for company. I stopped being able to hide it with the last quest.”

“Why’d you do it? Hide it?” Nico asks, even though he feels like he knows the answer.

“Olympus’ hero can’t show weakness,” Percy plainly says, “If they found out, the prophecy would’ve fallen on you. I needed to figure it out by myself. It was a need-to-know basis thing with the Greek world.”

“The prophecy still fell on Nico though? I guess he wasn’t part of the Seven technically, but still. He was part of the prophecy,” Leo comments.

Nico shakes his head, “Not that one. The last one that said that Olympus’s fate would be decided by a child of the Big Three who turns 16. Thalia joined the Hunt, so Percy was up next. If anything happened to him, it would’ve fallen on me.”

Leo nods, “So, you talked to Annabeth last night? How’d it go?”

Percy groans, “She was pissed . I told her that we could still live together next year and she can still go to school in the city and then NRU, it just might not be at the same time that I do. Then she started yelling and it freaked me out even more than I already was and it was a whole thing. I know she didn’t mean to trigger me like that, she’s allowed to be upset. It stresses her out a lot when she doesn’t have all the information or stuff changes on her like that.”

“I’m autistic too and all, but it’s still not cool of her to yell at you like that,” Leo says.

“I still haven’t figured out how to talk to her about my health without her shutting down. I tried explaining how crappy I’ve felt ever since the quest started. That the meds help but aren’t doing enough. That it constantly feels like I’m drowning. That I can’t fucking think because my brain fog is so bad. That I’m always exhausted. But nothing gets through,” Percy rants.

“She seemed kinda… off about your treatments, yeah,” Nico comments.

“Annabeth has a hard time accepting that people change. She doesn’t trust it, it scares her. To her, everything with my health is a sudden big change. To her, that’s danger,” explains Percy, “I love ‘Beth so much, I love the way she thinks and all the ways she shows she loves me. This is just one thing that she’s not the best at showing her love about.”

Leo nods understandingly, “Jason was freaked out with my cEDS shit too. He was also raised to constantly be looking for threats. My social worker Asa calls it hypervigilance, says it’s the same for me; he would do all this stuff to show me that things can be safe— always believed me when I told him something and never made me feel bad when I needed help. I sorta did the same thing with Jason. When he saw that Piper was always calm when things got scary, he learned it was safe too.”

“To do that, I’d have to figure out how to let her actually see me sick. I hate that it hurts her so much, she’s already so afraid,” Percy sighs, “How’d you do it?”

Leo shrugs, “I didn’t have a choice. I’ve been disabled and needed caregivers my whole life. But when I met Piper, I was dying. Like… unequivocally dying. My body told me that I had to trust her, that she’s safe. I needed help with almost everything in my daily life just to survive. Definitely… sobering, but the point is that I needed that push to trust there’s people that mean well. And dude? I think this should be your sign before you’re knocking on Hades’ door.”

Percy silently takes in what Leo told him. Nico does too. Most of the time, Nico’s the only one in the room who feels comfortable talking about death. It’s strangely comforting to hear Leo talking about it like it’s not taboo or a total tragedy, but rather just a fact of life. Maybe he gets it in a way that nobody else really has. 

“I think you’re right,” Percy then yawns, “I’m beat, you guys can play a video game or something. I’m gonna try to sleep. Don’t worry about being too loud, it won’t wake me.”

The son of Poseidon quickly falls asleep. Leo starts up a video game on Percy’s projector, handing Nico a controller. Nico tries to refuse, but Leo insists that it’ll be easy for him to figure out. The game is fun, and it takes place in space, so it’s pretty. Bianca never let Nico play video games in the Casino, citing that they weren’t good for his eyes. Leo reads aloud the text that scrolls across the screen for Nico, explaining the characters and what’s going on. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to him, but he decides that he doesn’t need to know to be happy. 

“What do you think space’s like?” Nico wonders aloud as he shakes his controller.

Leo laughs, “Not like Super Mario Galaxy, unfortunately. When I was real little, I told my Mami I wanted to be an astronaut. That dream died when she took me to the museum and I had a full-blown autistic meltdown.”

“... Are you scared of space?” Nico asks, trying to suppress the urge to smile.

“Not anymore!” Leo defends himself, Nico laughing, “Okay. Imagine you’re 4. You just learned people go to space and it’s the best thing ever. One day, the natural history museum starts an access program with your hospital, so your mom takes you there knowing you love dinosaurs and space. They have a planetarium and she tells you it’s just like a movie but better. Then you get there and it’s dark as shit, it’s booming loud, all these lights are flashing, and they’re telling you these space rocks murdered all the dinosaurs you love! Terrifying! Scarring!”

Nico laughs even harder, Leo shoves him jokingly, “Hey! It was perfectly logical for toddler Leo!”

The son of Hades clicks his tongue while smirking, “Excuses, excuses,”

“Not excuses! That planetarium was where all my C-PTSD started!” Leo quips back, “The space rocks killed my best friends! Wait. Did they even have dinosaurs yet for toddler Nico? This is a serious question, Nico. Do you know what dinosaurs are?” 

Nico lightly shoves Leo, “I’m from the 1930s, not the 1830s! We had dinosaurs! How old do you think I am? ‘Did you have dinosaurs?’ I swear to gods. American education fails again.”

“Hey, it was a fair question!” Leo holds his hands up in surrender. 

Nico rolls his eyes, “Just go back to playing the game… or is it too scary?”

Leo starts the game again, “I’m unpausing it only to prove to you that I’m a big boy.”

The two demigods keep playing the game for another couple hours while Percy stays dead asleep. Leo tells Nico about this whole elaborate web of characters, apparently the space game they’re playing is far from the only one. He then switches to a different game with pink and blue blob people, saying that it’s a game where Nico actually plays more but is easy enough. It’s not easy enough. Nico dies way more than any one person should be able to, but still has fun.

After another hour, they hear a firm knock on the door. Nico glances at Percy, who stirs slightly but stays asleep. Leo goes to answer the door to see one daughter of Athena staring back at him, “Oh, hey Annabeth! Percy’s sleeping right now, but we’re playing Wii. Wanna join?”

Annabeth nods, “How long has he been asleep?” she asks as she steps inside. 

“A few hours, I don’t think he slept a lot last night with how he’s breathing,” Leo replies. 

Annabeth sits down, “He’ll be up soon, he can’t stay asleep for very long these days. Is that the Treatland Theme from Kirby’s Epic Yarn?” 

“Yep!” Leo beams, “I’d play this all the time at one of my homes. You ever play?”

Annabeth warmly answers, “I used to play it with Luke when we first got here.”

“Wanna take my remote? I’m ass at this,” Nico offers, holding out the controller.

“Sure,” she smiles fondly at the little blue blob on screen, “All these years later and I’m still Prince Fluff.”

The two start playing. Nico watches as they breeze through levels, getting nearly perfect scores each time. Annabeth recalls how she begged Luke to steal her the player’s guide from GameStop when she was little, and Leo smirks and says he just stole it by himself. Nico likes seeing this side of Annabeth, the one where she seems carefree and not super serious.

They’re mid-level when Percy stirs awake with a coughing fit, quickly shifting to the edge of the couch to try to breathe. Nico looks at Annabeth, who instantly looks withdrawn and anxious. The older boy stops coughing, but he’s still straining for every breath like earlier. Before Nico can react, Leo’s already brought over a cart of medications and machines.

Nico explains what he’s doing aloud, albeit rushed, thinking back to their conversation earlier, “Annabeth, I’m setting up his nebulizer with Albuterol, it’s a rescue med to help him breathe. I’m also attaching oxygen. You can tell it’s working if he starts coughing again. I’m switching out what he has on right now, which is a different kind of oxygen machine.” 

Leo catches onto what Nico’s doing and shoots him a quick smile before going back to focusing on Percy. He starts methodically hitting the son of Poseidon on his back, explaining to Annabeth what he’s doing. Nico’s never seen it before either. After a few minutes, the help still doesn’t do enough for him to get an actually good breath in. Percy reaches for the side of the cart and presses the emergency pager on the side of it. Nico tries his best to hide his expression of shock. Shit, it must be really bad.

Less than a minute later, Will Solace comes bursting through the cabin door. He rushes to Percy and places his hands on the teen’s back. His hands glow slightly and Percy starts coughing again. He nearly pukes again from the force a few times, and actually does get sick once, before his breathing returns to the wheeze they’ve been hearing all day. Percy holds his head in his hands as he continues to try to catch his breath. He just looks exhausted. 

“Can you talk or do you need a minute?” asks Will.

“Bad flare. Cigarettes,” Percy replies between wheezes, then turns to his girlfriend and smiles as he holds her hand, “Hey there, ‘Beth.”

“Percy, you shouldn't try to talk right now,” Will says.

“What the fuck just happened? Are you okay? Is that gonna happen again?” Annabeth anxiously asks.

“Asthma attack during a COPD exacerbation. It’ll definitely happen again in his life, he mostly needs meds and rest. It’s scary for everyone involved but Percy knows what he needs, how to deal with it, and who can help. Sometimes, he needs some Apollo powers to help,” Will calmly explains. 

“Cigarettes? Was this my fault? I kept us outside so long,” Annabeth continues spiraling.

Percy shakes his head, “Don’t blame yourself. You didn’t know. I did. My worst trigger.”

“Percy, stop talking and focus on breathing,” Will lightly scolds, then softens his voice, “It’s neither of y’all’s fault. Can somebody who’s not Percy tell me what’s going on?”

Nico speaks up, “Leo and I stopped by this morning to check on him and found him having a bad attack. After we got it under control, he said he’d been getting worse all night. He was alright and even slept for a bit until just now. But he’s been talking about pain and nausea being worse too.”

Will sighs, “Percy, you gotta call me before your lungs quit like this. You don’t gotta do this alone— you can’t do this alone. I could feel how strained your respiratory system is right now and I know you haven’t been telling me the whole truth with how you’ve been doing. I’m not mad or disappointed, I just want you to keep yourself alive and get the care you deserve.”

Percy signs something, pointing at Nico and Leo with apprehension. Will grumbles the translation with disappointment, “I told ‘em this morning?”

“Percy and Annabeth, can I like… say things extremely bluntly? Not to be mean, but I don’t know how else to say it,” asks Will, Percy and Annabeth nodding in reply. 

“Percy, you need to accept you’re not a burden for being chronically ill and needing help. You’re literally going to die if you don’t. You gotta let people into your cabin, let them help you do things that exhaust you too much, and actually give your lungs a chance to heal. Annabeth, you gotta wrap your head around all this. I know it’s hard for you to see the person you love hurting so much. But right now, Percy’s safe and mega protected by his dad. The thing he needs is for you to understand and love him, in sickness and in health,” Will lectures.

All of the demigods are stunned into silence by the healer’s words. Granted, they all knew they were true. But nonetheless, it’s another thing to hear it said so directly. Nico remembers Will telling him about how between being Deaf and autistic, that kind of bluntness is his natural state. He just usually changes it to fit in better. Nico likes seeing this side of Will, though. If they weren’t with so many other people, he’d probably tell him that too. 

“Hey Will?” Percy asks, snapping Nico out of his thoughts, “My cabin’s a fuckin’ disaster. I haven’t been able to clean ‘cause of the dust. And I need you to call your dad. Nothing's working enough anymore and I feel like shit.”

A smile sneaks onto Will’s face, “Of course. Annabeth, you wanna help me clean?” 

Annabeth nods and quickly gets started, she already knows where everything goes in the cabin. Nico feels guilty staying on the couch, but also knows that he'll probably pass out if he helps. Leo resumes the video game, Percy playing the blue character. When the cabin looks spotless, the teens all gather together on the couch to watch Leo and Percy playing some kind of fighting game. Will sits down next to Nico. He slyly reaches for Nico’s hand, which Nico happily accepts. He can practically feel Will’s smiling warming him.

Will leans over and whispers, “Heya, Neeks. Fancy seeing you here. You look so lovely.”

Chapter Text

Nico’s leaning against Will as he watches Leo and Annabeth play a fighting game on the Wii, Percy having handed over his controller in favor of resting on his girlfriend’s shoulder. Leo jokes that it’s just because he kept losing, though. A knock at the door interrupts them, which Annabeth gets up to answer. 

“Perce, it’s Jason and Piper! Yes or no?” Annabeth shouts over her shoulder, Percy gives two thumbs up, “Aight come in. We’re playing Smash, wanna play?”

Piper happily agrees, despite Jason’s visible confusion. They join the rest of the group by the couch, sitting on the floor in front of Percy and Annabeth. 

Jason twists his body around to face Percy, “You good dude?”

Percy nods, pauses for a moment, then shakes his head, “Bad flare.” 

Piper and Jason nod understandingly, “Lemme know if you need anything,” she says, then goes back to focusing on the video game.

Nico likes seeing how nonchalant she seems about everything. He remembers being told that Piper helps Leo out a lot, so he figures she must be accustomed to this kind of thing already. Jason seems more outwardly concerned, but relaxed still despite his anxieties he told Nico about. Annabeth, on the other hand, still tenses up every time Percy coughs. Which is a lot. Even though Nico can tell she's trying not to. Suddenly, there's another knock on the door. This time, Will answers the door. 

“It's Connor and Pollux! Can they come in?!” Will shouts from the doorway a little too loud and watches for Percy’s signed yes in response, then invites them in, “We still have some remotes for Smash if you wanna join?”

The two demigods join the rest of the group, greeting and checking in with Percy before getting settled around the couch. The video games resume and the cabin feels alive. Even though Nico's not playing, he doesn't feel left out at all. At one point, he starts to get uncomfortable from sitting up, but Will notices and invites him to rest his head on his lap. Nico accepts and keeps quietly watching the projector. He slowly falls asleep to the sounds of his friends far too invested in the video game and he feels at home.

When Nico wakes up, there’s some TV show playing. Not that it matters, because everybody’s talking over it anyways. He tries to tune into them, but none of them make much sense. 

Will notices Nico shifting and smiles at him, “Hey sleepyhead, how you doing?”

“Good, guess I was more tired than I thought I was,” Nico shrugs.

“I’m happy you could rest, you kept my lap all nice and warm,” Will replies. 

“Oh my gods stop flirting, can we please focus and figure out food. I’m starving for dinner,” Connor jokingly complains, “But seriously, I can steal a camp car so we can go somewhere or pick something up. Let me have my fun!”

“I can’t do cars and then eat. I get too sick. I do flight, chariots, trains, and sailing,” Leo reminds him. 

“Percy and I can’t fly and there’s nowhere to go by train, chariot, or boat. I only have 4 sets of magic dishes in my cabin, but we could still use them if you guys want to,” offers Nico. 

“We could try to order food? See if they can find the border?” Piper suggests.

Pollux shakes his head, “Last time I tried that, the dude got ridiculously lost and they wouldn’t give me a refund. No thanks.”

“I can’t leave,” Percy interjects. 

“Do you still have a whole stash of groceries here, babe?” Annabeth asks Percy.

“Yeah. I can’t cook now though,” replies Percy, as if anybody expected him to move from his spot on the couch. 

“You have a whole ass kitchen in here, Seaweed Brain,” Annabeth rolls her eyes, “We’ll take care of cooking. I’m sure between the seven others of us, we can make something decent.”

“Six. I can’t really cook either, but I can tell you how to make something nice,” Leo adds.

“Leo’s got good recipes and he’s mad good at telling people how to do things. There wasn’t any paella at the feast yesterday, right?” Piper asks the son of Hephaestus.

“I didn’t see any. We could do vegetarian paella. It’s a rice dish with protein, beans, and veggies. Maybe make a side salad too?” Leo turns to the group, “How does that sound?”

“I love paella,” Percy tiredly smiles.

The only thing Nico can liken to what happens next is magic. It’s like a ballet with how perfectly coordinated it is and how Leo articulates each step, delegating tasks to each demigod. Nico thought he was good at cooking, but this is a whole different level. In just under an hour, they have a full meal set up around Percy on the couch. Nico takes his first bite of the meal and it tastes heavenly.

“Yo Piper, could you get me the shit for my feeds from my bag? Meds too,” Leo asks.

Nico notices that he’s not digging into dinner like all the other demigods already have. Just sitting there fidgeting with a fork in his hand. A couple of people look at him with confusion, which Nico is too. He wouldn't spend all that time making something he doesn't like, right?

“Not gonna eat? I can make something else for you if you don’t like it?” Pollux offers.

“Nah it’s chill, I will in a minute. I can’t really eat as much as I need to, so meals are a couple more steps for me before I can eat and not feel awful. At least ideally,” Leo explains.

“What did you do the other day when we had lunch?” Nico recalls.

“I did my burnt offerings and left to go get sick,” Leo replies, then smirks, “Didn’t want a repeat of that one time my burnt offerings were barf. Whoever got that, I’m just lucky they didn’t smite me!”

Piper returns carrying an armful of supplies and sits back down. Leo starts drawing up syringes of medications and injecting them into some tubing connected to him, which Nico hadn’t ever seen before. At the same time, Piper starts pouring cartons of liquid into a bag and connecting it to a small machine that she turns on before handing it to the son of Hephaestus.  

Leo connects the machine’s tubes to him and starts eating with a grin, “Number one caregiver for real, you should really let me pay you, Beauty Queen!”

Piper rolls her eyes, “I’ve told you a million times, I’m not taking your money.” 

“New York Medicaid’s got me rolling in caregiver hours, let me let the government pay you! I’ll get you one of these days, I swear,” Leo banters back, “I’m single-handedly funding a decent chunk of this place’s costs with all my stipends, anyways.”

The rest of the demigods look at the two like they’re from a different planet. Nico included. Between the two of them, he understood maybe half of the words being said. Whatever it is, it seems funny to the two of them so Nico awkwardly laughs along. 

Piper notices the confusion, “Leo, I think you gotta explain a bit. If you wanna, though.”

“Disabled foster kid stuff. The government gives me money because I’m super disabled, but I’m not allowed to save it so I ‘pay for my medical care’ by giving everything over the limit to Camp. Mr. D’s legally my foster parent so that’s more money; and on paper Chiron, Hedge, Argus, and a few of the nymphs are my 24/7 in-home caregivers that get paid through the state too— that money also goes towards Camp. But they’ve all said that if Piper, or anybody who helps me out a lot, ever wants to get paid they’ll happily make that change,” Leo explains.

“I shouldn’t be getting paid for being a decent friend who cares that you don’t die! Everything I help you with is pretty easy for me to do, anyways,” argues Piper.

“But the reparations, zâ’n, the reparations!” Leo jokingly counters. 

“Speaking of caregivers though, Percy, you should consider maybe having people around while you’re flaring. And maybe help out with stuff like cleaning too,” Will suggests.

“I know,” Percy answers as he finishes his dinner. He didn’t eat much and still seems pretty miserable, “Pass my BiPAP. Can’t fuckin’ talk.” 

Nico passes the machine to Percy, realizing the teen’s only been wearing a regular cannula for a while now. He wonders if it’s because he didn’t want to freak people out too much because of how much more intrusive the BiPAP looks. Nico can understand that. Not wanting more attention than they already get. And Nico doesn't have nearly the amount of pressure on him that Percy does. 

He's brought out of his thoughts by the feeling of Will squeezing his hand. When he zones back, he sees Percy still trying to catch his breath enough to talk. Will reaches over and places his hand on Percy’s back and mutters a quick hymn.

“Thanks Will,” Percy smiles at Will, then takes a deep breath, “I know I’m flaring too hard to be alone. And that I haven’t been able to actually clean this place in gods knows how long ‘cause the dust. Fuck , I feel like shit. I didn’t know cigarettes alone could make it so bad.”

“Shit dude. I thought I might’ve heard you when I was smoking, but I couldn’t tell. I can stop smuggling in cigarettes, nobody really even prefers them over weed,” Connor offers, “But I can help you out around here, I’m pretty good at that kind of thing from being a counselor.”

Percy waves him off, “You don’t gotta stop smuggling them in, all smoke messes with me anyways. I just gotta be more careful. And all this shit is hard to figure out, I don’t want you to be getting yourself into something that’s too much without knowing.”

“Piper and my siblings figured out all of my stuff, and there's a lot to figure out. Trust me. There like… isn't a single part of my body that isn't affected by my cEDS. People who wanna take the time will,” Leo reassures. 

“Exactly. They can learn, it’s not hard once you get the hang of it. Who’re you comfortable with helping you out?” Will asks.

Percy shrugs, “I dunno, whoever’s fine with it and has the time I guess.” 

“Aight, how ‘bout this,” Will pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket, “I have a blank schedule here. Y’all sign up for when you wanna, don’t overcommit, groups are okay.”

Nico signs up for a few hours in the mornings with Jason since they’re already there in the morning anyways. Soon after, Will starts walking everyone through everything in Percy’s cabin. It’s mesmerizing to Nico to watch Will speak— he’s definitely lucky that he already knows what most of it is already, otherwise he’d be screwed. It’s refreshing to see how many showed up for Percy, it makes Nico feel less alone. Like if he ever needed help, there’d be people there for him. 

When Will finishes explaining, only Nico and Will stay behind as the others all had cabins to wrangle. Suddenly, the room starts feeling warmer and smells of salt. A flash fills the room and before them stands none other than Poseidon and Apollo. The only thing Nico can think is shit Apollo is gonna figure out I have a massive crush on his son.

“Hi dad, hi Apollo,” Percy waves, “You don’t gotta be here, dad. I’m fine.”

Nico scoffs a little too loudly, but nobody looks too mad because they were all thinking it. He also figures the main reason Poseidon’s here is some weird Ancient Laws about cabins technically being shrines, so other gods can’t enter without express permission. It’s the same reason why his dad’s technically always spying on him in his cabin. Nico personally thinks the cabin rules make no sense, but doesn’t question it out of convenience. 

“Hey dad, Percy’s having a really severe flare. I’ve had to help open up his lungs twice today, he can barely talk or move, he’s been coughing to the point of vomiting all day, and his PFTs are the lowest they’ve ever been. The mortal treatments aren’t helping enough anymore, he needs something more. He’s not doing mortal school this year,” explains Will. 

“Alright, lemme take a look,” Apollo says, “Can you take off the BiPAP so I can get a baseline? We’ll wait 15, then I’ll scan.”

Percy obeys and sets a timer for 15 minutes. His father begins updating Percy about his realm, definitely to distract him. Will sits down next to Nico now that his part is done, resting his arm on the couch cushion behind them. Nico anxiously glances over to Apollo, who seems too honed in on the conversation to notice. Only then relaxes into the medic’s warmth, placing one of his hands on Will's leg. 

“You tired? You were standing for a while when we were cooking, it’s okay if you wanna take another nap on me,” Will whispers in Nico’s ear.

“Nah, I’m fine,” Nico signs back.

“You look mighty adorable when you sleep, yanno,” Will grins slyly, switching to ASL.

“Shut up, Solace. You watch me when I sleep?” Nico quips.

Will ruffles Nico’s hair, “Can’t help it, di Angelo. Ya got a cute face.”

Nico lightly bats away Will’s hand, “First you watch me when I sleep, then you mess up my hair. Currently becoming my enemy.”

“Okay Death Boy, whatever you say,” Will laughs, then softens his tone, “Your signing is getting really good. It's cute seeing you argue with me in my language.”

The timer goes off and Nico looks back over to Percy, who’s now sitting at the edge of the couch straining to breathe and looks like he’s about to have another asthma attack. If not already having one. Poseidon is anxiously pacing the room. Apollo lays Percy down and hovers his hands over his chest, rapidly moving. In less than a minute he’s done and touches one hand to Percy’s chest, his breathing instantly sounds normal again.

“How long has this been going on?” Poseidon demands.

“It’s been iffy since the last prophecy started. Got worse during it and stayed bad,” Percy replies, “I couldn’t get any meds or help because of schisms and the quest. But this flare started last night and I haven’t been able to get in a good breath since. Well, until now.”

Apollo nods, “He said it all. Not much more I can add to that.”

Nico pipes up, thinking that it's strange that the god doesn't want to hear himself talk more, “His chest pain’s been really bad too, he needs something for it.”

“Non-addictive, no opioids,” Will adds. 

Apollo hesitates, “Perseus, are you actually dropping out of school and spending more time in the Greek world now? You cannot lie to the god of truth.”

“I got expelled because I missed too much between always being sick and getting kidnapped. I can’t sit through a full school day anymore, I could barely do it before the Styx anyways. Everyone left for me in the mortal world already knows that I’m a demigod. I wouldn’t lie about the thing that nearly destroyed my relationship,” Percy responds, laced with bitterness.

Nico can’t blame him, he’d be pissed if a god accused him of lying too. Poseidon also doesn’t look happy. The god is glaring at Apollo, as if he’s threatening him with the wrath of all the seas for insulting his son. Remind me not to ever get on Percy’s bad side, holy Hades. 

“Okay, okay. I believe you,” Apollo concedes, Poseidon’s fury dissipating as he launches into a monologue about meds, “It won’t be a cure but you should be able to get around 70% function eventually. Maybe in a year or two.”

“My brother cannot see in here, Apollo,” Poseidon sternly says, a small smirk peeking through.

Apollo whips his head around with a look of betrayal, “I’m sorry, what? Why didn’t you say that earlier? I was thinking he’s breathing down my neck about to smite me for interfering again after everything. My Fates, I had my Dionysus cosplay going for no good reason?!”

Nico bursts out laughing at that, as does Will and Percy. That's the god that he was more familiar with. Now that he thinks of it, he's always been in neutral or Apollo's territory when he's seen him. No need for a protective escort. 

“Let me have my fun,” Poseidon grins, “How are you feeling, my son?”

Percy shrugs, “Crappy. A little better, but still crappy. I can tell that whatever Apollo did won’t last too much longer, like how Will’s powers work.”

“If anything, Will’s powers work like mine!” Apollo jokingly argues, “Hopefully, the new meds will kick in over the next few days so you get some relief. Get some good rest until then, it might feel worse before it feels better. How's that buddy of yours doing, Reid?”

Nico's never heard that name before. Not from Percy or around camp. He supposes it makes sense, he does have an entire life outside of camp anyways. 

Percy notices the confused look from Nico, “Reid's my only full mortal friend around my age, I met him at my most recent school. But the answer is we haven’t talked much since before I got kidnapped. Last I checked, he was super stressed about doctors and school, so his epilepsy and stuff was worse. But my mom says he's been coming over for dinners, so he's prolly doing better now.”

“My offer still stands, just saying,” Apollo cryptically offers, “Nico, how’s everything working out for you? Might as well check while I’m here.”

“Everything’s fine, no problems,” Nico nervously answers, trying to subtly scoot away from Will to avoid any suspicion from the god.

“Yep! He’s my number one patient,” Will smirks and closes the gap, “Everyone should be in the cabin for the night around now. Maybe give ‘em a visit? We just welcomed a new sister, Adalie, she’s still kinda scared. A bedtime story or song might help her.”

“Excellent idea! I can’t believe I thought of it, perhaps expect some new dream concerts soon!” Apollo exclaims, “Proud of you, Will. Keep up the good work, kid.”

The immortals part ways soon after, leaving the three demigods alone in the cabin once again. Percy puts on an animated movie about some fish on a journey. Nico’s not completely sure what it’s about, but that’s mostly because he’s distracted by Will. 

He has his arm wrapped around Nico’s shoulders, gently caressing Nico’s upper arm with his thumb. With his free hand, he occasionally signs reactions to the movie. At one point, he signs something that Nico doesn’t recognize. It looks like he’s flourishing his open hand across his face. Nico tilts his head and asks what the sign means.

“Beautiful,” Will repeats the sign, “Like you, Neeks.”

Nico blushes and inches closer to the son of Apollo. He rests his head on Will’s shoulder, who gives Nico a gentle squeeze. 

“Bellissimo,” Nico softly says, “Beautiful.”

Will smiles back, “I have no clue what you just said.”

Nico and Will burst out laughing, earning an unserious glare from Percy for interrupting. They sit like that for the rest of the movie, the warmth from the healer making Nico want to stay there forever. When it ends, it’s nearly curfew. Nico helps Percy to his bed and starts heading towards the door when Will stops him.

“Wait a sec!” Will jogs over to the door, “Leaving so soon?”

“If I wait any longer, I’ll be a midnight snack for the harpies,” he replies, awkwardly shifting his stance.

“Well that wouldn’t be great for your health,” Will jokes, “I need to stay here tonight, but I’ll see you tomorrow morning, yeah?”

Nico smiles and nods, then goes back to his cabin. He swears in the distance he can hear Will’s voice. Probably is his voice considering Will sometimes doesn’t realize how loud he is, but Nico doesn’t mind it. As he falls asleep that night he can’t stop thinking about Will.  Bellissimo . 

When he wakes up, he gets ready and heads over to Percy’s for the shift he signed up for. And also to see Will . The next days pass nicely. Nico spends most of his day hanging out with Will, whether that be at Percy’s cabin or elsewhere. For the first time in gods know how long, Nico can confidently say that he wants to stay where he is.

Chapter Text

Nico’s days return to their normal routine once Percy’s new meds start kicking in and he feels well enough to go back to camp activities, albeit with strict limitations. Over the past week or so, he feels like he's gotten wildly closer to Will, Percy, and Connor. With there still being no formal schedules, it gives the counselors time to finish any tasks they need to get done for the school year. Like classes. Quickly, it was decided that meeting at Percy's cabin to plan was the easiest. Long story short, the four demigods have spent most of their days together chatting. 

The son of Hades is sitting at his table in the Mess Hall quietly eating his breakfast. Percy and Jason are deep in a debate about the worst bird, Stymphalian birds and Roman eagles excluded. Right now, it's basically down to Canada geese versus seagulls but the arguments are both that they’re jerks. Personally, Nico thinks that crows are the worst because they know what they’re doing and mean it, but he’s not trying to get involved with the argument.

“I always hated emus, I don’t understand why they had to make those,” Mr. D interrupts the conversation as he seemingly appears from nowhere.

Percy jumps, “Jesus Christ! Give a guy a warning!”

“Wrong pantheon, I am the other Wine Guy,” Mr. D deadpans, earning a laugh from the demigods and an embarrassed look from Nico, “Mr. Di Angelo, I’ll see you after breakfast, yes?” 

“I'll come after treatments,” Nico groans, still reeling from the callback to the title his younger self gave the god. 

Mr. D nods and turns his attention, “And Peter, I see you’re moving around now. Will I be seeing you this afternoon?”

“If I’m not too tired, I usually wipe out for a few hours in the afternoon these days,” Percy replies, “Is 3ish okay? I’m usually awake by then.”

“That will suffice. Rescheduling is also an option,” Mr. D offers.

Percy shakes his head, “No, I’ve missed too many. I’ll make it happen.”

“...We’ll be talking about that,” the immortal states plainly, then walks away without another word. 

The son of Poseidon groans and slams his head in his arms on the table. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that he isn't happy, but that doesn't mean that Nico knows what to do. Jason also looks pretty clueless for that matter, offering an awkward pat on the back.

“What's wrong?” Nico asks, internally cringing as he realizes how painfully blunt he is.

“He's gonna think it's a whole school chronic illness trauma thing. It's not. I just don't wanna keep missing therapy,” Percy explains, head still on the table. 

Jason starts to talk, “Maybe if you explain it—” 

“And then he's gonna be all ‘Well why do you think you've missed too many’ and ‘Why do you feel guilty when you miss commitments’ and it's gonna be a whole thing,” Percy cuts him off to continue rambling. 

“Well why do you then?” Nico asks, “I mean if he's gonna ask you that anyways, maybe it's a good idea to think about what you're gonna say?”

Percy nods and picks his head up, “Mainly, I just need it. And yeah, I feel bad wasting people's time when I say I'll do something and then back out at the last minute. But like… who doesn't? I've missed too much because I haven't had a real session since before the war, not because I feel like shit about getting expelled again.”

“Yeah, but feeling like shit is why you need it in the first place. So maybe it's not the main reason, but it's a reason,” Nico replies. 

“I shouldn't be dumping this on you guys. Neither of you even know what mortal school is like these days. This is why I have a therapist. This shouldn't be you guys’ problem,” Percy says, forcing a lighter tone, “What’s up with you guys?”

Nico shrugs, “It’s okay. I haven't been to school in awhile but I remember it being horrible when I went to Catholic schools. I was really bad at it. Always got in trouble for doodling in the hymnals during Mass. I was also really hyper, so you can imagine how Westover went for me.”

“It just makes me feel so fucking dumb, yanno? They always make me take all these tests and I always bomb them. Schools just see that and all my expulsions and it just sucks. It’s like they’re looking for reasons to hate me. There's not even a fuckin point in trying anymore,” Percy rants, he then winces a bit, “Yikes, those were inside thoughts. Ignore the last like… 5 minutes of Percy. I'm just cranky and tired and dramatic.”

“I don't think you're being dramatic. School sucks, even more when they start off hating you. They always hated me in school, for other reasons, but it still sucked,” Nico empathizes.

“Dude, I think you earned the right to be cranky about that forever. Sounds miserable,” Jason adds. 

Nico nods in agreement and the conversation returns to light hearted banter. He quietly follows along, thinking through what he has to do the rest of the day. His mind keeps wandering to what Percy talked about. It's hard to imagine what the mortal world is like for the son of Poseidon. More specifically, a world so unfair that it makes him feel that hopeless. But then again, isn't that just being a child of The Big Three?

A twinge in Nico's chest reminds him that he still has to do his morning routine and make it over to his appointment with Mr. D. He zones back in to seeing his friends starting to clean up their plates and head towards the brazier. After that, he heads back to his cabin with Percy and Jason like every morning. Nico offered to move their morning Big Three Boys time to Percy’s cabin, but Percy insisted that they didn’t have to change stuff up for him. In fact, refused to let them change stuff to make it easier for him. 

Location qualms set aside, morning treatments go pretty normally. Percy’s routine takes a little longer than Nico’s now. Even with the new meds from Apollo that are supposed to be super strength, he still needs to double up with mortal meds to get by. Kinda a shitty deal if you ask Nico, but he doesn't mind having a slower morning. It's nice to ease into the day. 

Unfortunately, he can't procrastinate his responsibilities forever and has to go see Mr. D now. He makes his way over to the Big House where he's greeted on the porch again by the god. After weaving through the endless hallways of the Victorian house, he gets settled on the couch across from Mr. D. It’s been so long, he’s not really sure if he should be the one to start talking or not. So, he opts to sit quietly while he thinks of something to say.

“It’s been quite a busy time here since we last met. You’d think another prophecy is starting with all the action,” Mr. D breaks the silence.

“Gods, I hope there’s not another prophecy. I don’t think any of us could deal with that,” Nico groans before recomposing himself, “But yeah, it’s been busy I guess.”

“So, how about we start with what’s been going on since we last met? I am aware of a few things, but I want to hear what you have to say about it,” Mr. D continues the session, “The last time we met, it was a few days before the Capture the Flag Game.”

“Yeah, I mean the game went well. We won. It felt good to fight again. I was anxious about it, like people might see me with crutches and think I’m weak. Sometimes I think that I’m gonna get targeted because of it, or they’re gonna think I’m useless. I’ve been trying not to get too in my head about a shot that Pollux took, he pulled me down and dislocated my hip with a vine. I just… I can’t help but wonder if he would have tried that if he didn’t know I’m… yanno…”

“Not to air my son’s battle strategies, but he pulls that move with everybody. Regardless, getting hurt isn’t enjoyable. It must’ve been unnerving to be vulnerable like that.”

“Unnerving, yeah. I’m not used to being this weak. It just makes me feel like… I don’t get why people keep me around. Why does Connor still want me for the sword fighting class? I’m maybe half of the strength I used to be before everything, I’m not the fighter they want.”

Mr. D nods, “Have you considered that they may not be looking for your fighting skills when they choose to spend time with you?”

“Why else would they pick me then? There’s no point in choosing me if I can’t fight. It’s why I was at the Labyrinth, it’s why I was at Manhattan, it’s why I was even involved in the last quest at all. They need my heritage and the power that comes with it,” Nico counters. 

“I hear that many quite like your company. I know that Will chose to stay with you after the events of Capture the Flag. That was certainly not for your fighting skills,” Mr. D comments. 

“And then I made it all about myself because I couldn't keep my shit together for one night and I—” Nico abruptly cuts himself off. No, you can't say that. Merda, what are you going to say? Shit. Fuck. Damn. 

“You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Just know that I am the god of Madness, I won't judge,” Mr. D reassures Nico, interrupting his spiral. 

Nico starts to explain, “It was a bad night with the storm. I couldn't calm down, I didn't want to bother Will. Everything was going too fast. I couldn't stop the flashbacks. And the storm. It just kept getting louder and louder and—”

“Pause,” the god cuts off Nico, “Take a breath. You're starting to panic. Take your time, the only pace that matters is what you're okay with. Listen to your body.”

Only then does Nico realize how fast his heart is beating. And that his arms are shaky and tingling. And that he feels dizzy. Really, really, dizzy. Did I forget my meds? Now that he focuses a little more on his body, he starts to feel a headache coming on. His breathing doesn't feel too fast, but his vision is still starting to go dark around the edges.

“I think I need to lay down. I don't feel right,” Nico says, “I think I might pass out.” 

Mr. D quickly gestures for Nico to go ahead, “Do what you need to, would you like me to call the infirmary?”

Nico lays down on the couch and his vision returns pretty immediately. Apparently, anxiety can trigger his POTS. He notes that for something to keep in mind for later, maybe that’s why he always feels so awful when he has panic attacks. This is the first time anybody ever stopped him before it got out of control, it was strange to change his attention like that. But, it worked. He’s less anxious and after a couple minutes, he feels normal enough, but decides to stay laying down out of caution. 

“No, I'm okay. I think I just wanna keep going,” Nico replies, taking a deep breath and staring at his arms, “I have some razors hidden in my cabin that I just can’t bring myself to get rid of. Nobody else has found them yet to toss them for me. I didn't even really know what I was doing until I was done. Like I knew and I wanted to, but I didn't mean for it to get so out of control. But, yeah… it did. It was a really bad night.”

“It takes quite a bit of strength to share that with me. Thank you,” Mr. D nods understandingly, “What changed that made you calm down and come back to the present?”

“I don't know. I guess I had enough. I… I really fucked up. My pain was really bad the next few days. I pushed it a lot during the game, but also because of what I did to myself.”

“Those days after your relapse, could you tell me more about them?” 

“I stayed in my cabin, mostly with just Will. Percy was there too sometimes, but he had to leave every few hours. I didn't know at the time, but I think it's because he had to go do treatments. But he didn't tell me that. The first day, Kayla stuck around to interpret for Will that first day because he was still really anxious. Pollux and Connor checked on me a few times. But yeah, I mostly just was with Will watching shows and talking.”

“What I'm hearing is that you have a strong community there for you when things are hard. How does that framing sound to you?”

“I guess you’re right, yeah. I don't know. I feel weird making it everybody's problem. Like they already have to deal with me being so much slower now, and now they also have to deal with the fact I can't stop myself from tearing my arms apart?”

“You were raised to think that the only way to live is independently. It's what mortal society demands. You weren't made to be alone, people were made to be together. Humans have a word for what you're feeling, they call it internalized ableism. Your friends see the whole you, enjoy the whole you. Just like you like their company, they like yours.”

That causes Nico to pause for a long while. He has no idea what to say, he probably sits in silence for minutes as he processes the god's words. So, he does the only thing he can think of doing: abruptly change the topic. 

“I’m worried about Percy,” he blurts out.

“He had quite the health scare recently, yes. It was comforting to learn that he is getting some relief now,” Mr. D responds.

Okay, so changing the topic worked. That's good. Now actually think of thoughts to say, di Angelo. You can’t just think thoughts and then not think thoughts anymore. Think! Gods, I hope he can’t read my thoughts. My dad can do that, it’s annoying. Like is nothing sacred? Oh shit, I still have to say something. 

“It doesn't feel fair. He does everything right and it doesn't work. What if it gets like that for me? I know it's never gonna get better, but what happens if— no, when— it gets worse? Like we did all this shit to live just to die from a mortal thing?” Nico starts spiralling. This was not a successful diversion, dumbass.  

“Percy has vastly different experiences from you. Yes you share similarities, but you are both different beings with different pathways in life. Secondly, I have a coping technique that I think may help you that I can guide you through. Do you want to try it?” Mr. D asks, Nico nodding in response, “Okay. I want you to think of a time you felt safe. I know it’s hard for demigods to feel safe, but the safest you can remember. Tell me everything you can about that time. What you felt, saw, heard. Everything you can remember.”

If Nico had been asked that a few months ago, he wouldn't have had an answer. Maybe some time, long ago, clouded by the haze of the Lethe back when he was still with his mother and Bianca. Before he was aware of the war and the rise of facism in his country. Before he could even fathom being a son of Hades. It feels like a million years ago, like Nico has lived hundreds of lifetimes since that time. 

But now it's different. He's lived a hundred lifetimes still, but it's not all horrible. He can actually say he has good things in his life: a place to call home, actual living friends, answers about his past, answers about his present, a half decent father. It's hard being left in the aftermath of everything, but he's surviving it. It doesn't feel hopeless anymore. 

“Last week when I was at Percy's. At this point he was doing better, so he had more energy but still needed help with some stuff. All the counselors had free time, so a bunch of us were over at Percy's. Piper, Jason, Connor, Pollux, and Clarisse were making dinner while Will, Percy, Annabeth, Leo, and I were over on the couch playing a video game. It was really nice and warm from the oven and stove running, and it smelled so good. Like garlic, onions, and rosemary. They were making some kind of vegan chicken dish with mashed potatoes. It was loud but in a good way with everybody joking together. And Will had his arm around my shoulders so I could feel that pressure and all his bracelets, like it was homey and just comfortable. Safe,” Nico smiles as he recalls the memory. 

“Perfect. Now think, is there something specific you can think of to remind you of that? To remind you of that safe place?”

“Will gave me a couple bracelets, one was his and one he made for me. Rubbing them reminds me of good things like that.” 

“We’re going to call that memory and stimming with your bracelets an anchor. Between now and the next time we meet, I want you to try to return to that anchor. That feeling of safety. Maybe it’s when you start feeling anxious or overwhelmed, maybe it’s right before you fall asleep, just try to find that feeling again. I also want you to take note of other things that make you feel safe like that and make a list, draw it out, anything that works for you. Sound good?”

Nico nods, he can do that. Maybe it'll give him a good excuse to actually take time to draw— it's been awhile since he's been able to. It feels a little bit daunting, what if I can't find enough? Maybe Will or Percy or somebody will have good ideas. 

“We're just about at time. Are there any last things you want to talk about?” Mr. D starts concluding the session

Nico shakes his head, “No, nothing I can think of.”

“Are you okay to walk back or would you like me to call for some help?” Mr. D asks, Nico realizing he's still laying down. 

The son of Hades slowly pushes himself up to a sitting position, not feeling too lightheaded, “I should be okay. I'm probably just going to go take a nap. I still feel kinda sick.”

“Alright. Take care, Niccolò,” the immortal replies. 

Nico could swear, he saw a hint of a smile on the god's face as he left the room. Staying true to his word, he all but crashes onto his couch for a quick nap when he gets back. The walk back to his cabin makes his POTS start acting up again, so he doesn't feel great. Not as bad as he was before being on the brink of passing out, but bad enough that getting up doesn't feel like a good idea. 

He runs his fingers over the ridges of the bracelets Will gave him and is reminded of his warmth. Slowly, he is lulled to sleep, the afternoon sun warming his face as it peeks through the curtains. And gods, does it feel good. 

Chapter Text

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.’ So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days” -Exodus 10:21-22

Shadows of Nico’s dreamscape swirl together to form an all too familiar scene. So familiar that he can feel it enveloping his soul. Because this isn’t a dream. This is a memory. He knows this place. He hates this place. He should’ve died in this place. 

The jar.

That wretched bronze jar.

Made to trap gods, destined to kill a meager demigod. 

The smell is the first thing that hits him. That rancid, stale smell. And gods, was it so fucking hot. Too hot. Like it’s boiling him alive. The voices boom outside so loudly it feels like it’s stabbing through his soul. Maybe they are stabbing through him. Maybe that would be more merciful than whatever they have planned for him. Maybe he would be lucky to die right here. 

His stomach hurts. No, it more than hurts. One time, Nico read that the human stomach starts to eat itself after twelve hours without food. He’s positive that’s what’s happening, except his stomach is devouring his entire insides. And everything hurts so, so much. His chest feels like it’s on fire. Every breath hurts. No. Every breath burns . 

From his lungs, up his throat, to his mouth and reverse— all he feels is pain. It feels like thousands of needles are radiating up his back and wrapping around his hips, the rough metal seams of the jar digging cuts into his body and pushing his bones out of place. Nothing is right. Any notion of movement is met with excruciating pain. 

And of course there’s the darkness. The darkness is the worst part of this all. Every second of every day for nearly as long as Nico can remember, he’s been in pain. He can deal with pain. He can deal with the hunger, he’s been desperately in need of food after days of nothing before. But the darkness? The darkness leaves him only with himself. And that’s why it’s what pushes Nico over the edge.

In fact, darkness doesn’t do justice to describe what it is. Nico can’t see his hands in front of his face, his greasy hair he can feel over his eyes, the wall that could be twenty miles or two feet away from him and he wouldn’t know the difference. This is not the darkness of a child’s nighttime anxieties. This is a void. This is an abyss. This is Night. He swears that he can feel her here taunting him. As if to say he may have made it through Her mansion, but She will always win. That he. Is. Nothing. 

As if that isn’t bad enough, Nico’s shown a vision. The gods are truly twisted. And Nico would rather they just kill him already. He sees Percy, Annabeth, Hazel, and Jason along with some others he doesn’t recognize. Assumedly all demigods. They’re all sitting around a table talking. 

It takes him a decent amount of effort to focus, it’s hard to focus through all the pain. It still hurts so much. Focus, di Angelo. Do one good thing for once in your life. He tries to take a deep breath, coughing through the exhale. Nico catches every few words at best, everything else feels too loud. 

That’s when it hits him. They’re talking about if he’s worth it. If they should put forth the effort to find him. And it’s split. Too split. The only people really vouching for him are Hazel and Percy. And honestly? Nico doesn’t even blame them. It’s blatantly obvious that he’s just a trap to lead them straight to Gaea and the giants. If it was up to him, he’d cut the loss of the useless piece of dead weight too. Still, it burns to hear them talk about him. It burns almost more than anything else he’s feeling right now. 

They call him a liar for knowing about the two camps. Nico wants to scream. It wasn’t his choice that he was sworn to secrecy and threatened by gods to maintain the separation. They were watching him. He would’ve been killed if he had even so much as hinted at it. 

Maybe that would’ve been better, maybe he should’ve just told Percy he actually knew him back at Camp Jupiter and then he’d be gone and he wouldn’t be anybody’s burden anymore. 

Still, it burns when they say that he can’t be trusted. That he is better left for dead. It isn’t his fault, he promises it isn’t his fault. He just needs somebody to believe him, for somebody to trust him. Oh, how he longs to be more than his father’s son.

And then it’s dark again. Any trace of light from the vision is violently torn away from him. As quickly as it was presented, it is gone. Just like everything else in Nico’s pathetic excuse for a life. Anything that could give him the slightest bit of hope torn away by the will of the gods. Because absolutely everything in his life is dictated by the will of the gods. Before he even knew they existed, they were taking anything they could from him. 

The darkness begins to suffocate him. He feels like he can’t breathe. He can’t breathe. And gods, it hurts so much. The weight in his pocket feels heavier and heavier. Nico thinks back to the conversation he just watched. He wants to cry. Maybe he is crying. He can’t tell. Maybe nothing is actually real anymore, that the Pit has claimed him as retribution for surviving the unsurvivable. Perhaps, he just needs to die.

That’s when it becomes abundantly clear to him: nobody is coming. He is alone. Maybe he should let the inevitable come sooner and just let his hunger consume him. Or perhaps, and this is just a pipe dream, somebody may save him. He needs to believe that somebody may save him. That maybe, just maybe, it’s not completely hopeless. 

Nico shakily reaches into his jacket pocket and feels around until he feels it: a small velvet pouch. In it holding seven seeds from Persephone's garden, a week of survival. A week of prolonging the inevitable. A week of hope. Or something like that. He dumps the pouch out in front of him and carefully picks out one seed. The taste explodes in his mouth. 

Then it is still, very still. And he doesn't feel any pain. And there's this part of him that wouldn't mind if the trance teeters into permanency, because at least then he wouldn't be in pain anymore. 

For a brief moment, he blissfully doesn't feel anything. 

The worst part about waking up from a nightmare isn't the panic, it's the phantom feeling of everything left behind by it. Nightmares make Nico feel like he's losing his mind. He can swear he can still smell the metal, feel its imperfections carving into his skin, taste the godly fruit, ache with the same pain. The pain is real though. Because his back and hips always hurt now. And the pressure in his chest settled deep in his lungs and never left. 

Speaking of which, that's when Nico realizes he can't breathe. More accurately, he's hyperventilating. It shouldn't be so much of a surprise to him considering he used to wake up everyday with a panic attack for gods know how long. Yet, it still has a vice-like grip on him. It never stops feeling horrible, like he's dying. But then again, if he got used to it then it wouldn't be a panic attack anymore, right? 

Nico starts to hit the sides of his legs, desperately trying to keep himself in the present. He can't tell if the pain is keeping him there or making him waver back into the territory of the flashback. The bathroom taunts him. The razors beckoning to him, demanding attention. That they are the solution. 

Fuck, what was the thing I was supposed to do? Think. Think. Think. Gods, I just want this to fucking stop. Maybe you should just— no. What was the thing you're supposed to do? There's something you're supposed to do. 

Subconsciously, his hand moves to his wrist as he starts to dig his nails into it. That's when he feels the bracelets on his arm and hesitates. Slowly, he moves his fingers to the jewelry and carefully runs them along the ridges of them. 

The warmth of the oven and stove filling the cabin. It isn’t suffocating, it’s just right. 

As Nico begins rocking back and forth, he gradually feels his breathing start to slow down. He squeezes the plastic bracelet from Will, letting the little links dig into his fingertips. Not enough to hurt, but enough to feel. 

The perfect pressure of Will's arm wrapped around his shoulders as the aromatic scent of rosemary wafts through the air. 

He runs his fingers over the small knots of the friendship bracelet that Will made for him. Feeling each and every stitch of the design and the little beads that Will wove into it. The small imperfections in the bracelet that Nico has memorized at this point. He keeps rocking, slightly more aware of the fabric of his couch below him. Nico thinks that he can feel the sun on his skin, but he’s not sure. There might be light from outside coming through his curtains, maybe. 

The sound of his friends laughing echoing off the walls as the audio from the video game fills the silences. The subtle noises of the kitchen and the pans sizzling as they sear the dish. The quiet sounds of buttons on the Wii controllers being pushed and Percy’s oxygen concentrator puffing with each of his breaths. He wonders if Will can hear it. 

“Oh shit, Nico?! Are you okay?” a voice calls out worriedly. 

Nico snaps his head towards the door where he assumes the voice is, but he still can’t quite tell who it is. Maybe his POTS is still acting up, he did just have a panic attack anyways. Still having a panic attack? What did Mr. D say earlier? Listen to your body? 

He's sitting up on his couch, no headache like he had before, but his heart is beating really fast. His breathing feels pretty normal. That's when he realizes how dizzy he feels, and that he couldn't recognize the person because his vision’s starting to go out. 

“It’s Will, can I touch your back?” the voice, apparently Will, asks.

Nico nods. Will is safe. He feels the couch dip as the healer sits next to him and a warm hand is placed on the small of his back. His brain feels really fuzzy, like he can’t quite think right, “I… I don’t— Something doesn’t feel right.”

“You look really pale,” Will observes aloud.

“I’m always pale,” Nico instinctually replies.

“More than usual,” Will chuckles, “No fever or acute illnesses, let’s lay you down. This feels like presyncope. POTS thing, fancy word for about to pass out.”

Will guides him slowly until his head is resting on the son of Apollo’s lap. Pretty quickly, Nico’s vision starts to return to normal and he can more clearly see the blonde looking at him, still looking extremely concerned. Soon enough, Nico starts to feel a bit better. Well, at the very least not panicking or on the brink of blacking out. The two quietly stay where they are.

“I’m feeling better, I think,” Nico breaks the silence.

“You sure know how to give a guy a scare, it looks like you took your meds this morning though. Sometimes bad days just happen for no reason,” replies Will.

“Yeah… bad day. It happened during therapy too. I think it’s triggered by me panicking? I just woke up from a nightmare. Yeah, bad day,” Nico tries to explain, even though the words he’s saying don’t feel like they’re quite right. 

“You sound pretty out of it still, Neeks. Chronic illness is like this sometimes, but it won’t stay this bad forever, promise,” Will says warmly.

“I’m tired. But not tired. I don’t wanna sleep again,” Nico responds hazily. 

“Do you want me to give you some of the stronger sleep stuff we keep in the infirmary? You need some rest, I want you to be comfortable,” Will offers, Nico nodding, “It’s an injection, that alright?”

Nico nods again. He feels like words are too hard right now. More than anything, he just feels absolutely exhausted. He watches as the medic pulls out a slew of medical supplies and a bottle of shimmery medication out of his bag then carefully draws up a dosage of it.

Will wipes Nico’s hand with something cold, “Small pinch,” he warns. 

Nico feels the needle go into his hand, he thinks it’s like the one that Will had put in back when he was in the infirmary. Then, he feels the warmth of the medication start to enter his veins. Will is quietly singing a hymn in Ancient Greek, making the liquid glow even more as it’s administered. 

“There. Just relax now, Niccolò. I’m here, I’m not going anywhere,” Will reassures.

Without any reluctance, Nico allows the medicine to do its work and guide him to sleep. Sure, he’s exhausted and it wouldn’t have taken much anyways. Most importantly though, he knows deep in soul that he’s safe right now. In his cabin, his home, with Will. It will be okay.

Chapter Text

Over the next few days, Nico spends the bulk of his time relaxing in his cabin. He doesn't feel as awful as he did the day he had therapy, but still doesn't want to push it more than going out for maybe a meal or two a day. Will comes by whenever he has a free moment… or forcibly makes a free moment in his schedule. Not that Nico's complaining, he'll never refuse Will's company. 

Nico's pretty sure that the main reason Will’s been spending so much time with him is because he's super stressed, though. Every time he's over, he has a new stack of files or lesson plans or homework that needs to be done. Will explained that he gets his schoolwork from a Deaf school in Texas, but they start way earlier in the year than the New York schools do, so he's drowning in work. Honestly, Nico doesn't have any idea how the son of Apollo balances everything. No wonder he's stressed. 

That's when Nico decides he's going to try to get something for Will— as a thanks for being a good friend and for absolutely no other romantic interest reasons. Quite quickly, Nico approaches a plethora of problems with this idea. 

One: he has literally no clue what kinds of stores are near Camp. Two: the last time he paid attention to pop culture he was still in his hyperactive era. Three: he doesn't actually know what he wants to get Will. Unfortunately, the idea is stuck in his head and now he's committed to it. 

Which is why Nico's now sitting at his desk, something he basically never does because literally anywhere else is more comfortable. He knows he should just replace the table so it fits with his wheelchair, but then he has to actually do that. Anyways, he's combing every memory he can trying to remember everything that Will likes and make a list. The results are currently… mixed to say the least. 

What Will Likes

• Medical and Madness stuff
• Being pretty  cute  pain in my ass nice
• That one space thing he talks about
• Cooking? Maybe?
• ASL and Deaf stuff
• Stories!! He tells stories!! Like in ASL!!
• Music maybe I don't know if he actually likes that or just pretends
• Bracelets I think or maybe not
• Jewelry maybe but he doesn’t wear a lot
• His CIs are yellow, favorite color??
• Reading but I've never seen him read before

Yeah. Varying levels of success. It doesn't help that Nico can't remember any of the current media that Will talks about. Not because he's not paying attention, but more so because Will talks A LOT and Nico more so gets the plot points than the actual names. At this point, he's too far in to ask and frankly afraid to admit it. 

Which leads Nico to his next idea in completing his self-assigned mission: ask Connor. He considered his other friends— Percy because he's familiar with the mortal world, Pollux because he's known Will the longest, Jason because he's good with people, Leo because he's talked about cool gifts he's made Piper— but ultimately lands on Connor because he's a solid mix of all of the above. Plus he does the camp supply runs. 

Finally feeling well enough that he's not getting exhausted from eating, Nico makes his way next door to Cabin 11. The place looks a lot better than when he stayed there, the paint having been refreshed and the detailing touched up. Cecil answers the door and Nico peeks inside to see that the inside is much less crowded too. They don't even need to use the extra cots that Nico slept on when he stayed here. 

“Hey Nico! Come in, what's up?” Cecil warmly greets him. 

Nico steps inside. The floors are the same worn panels that he remembers, but they seem to have added more furniture with the newly found space without all the extra beds. One wall in particular stands out to Nico. Spanning the entirety of it is an intricately painted mural of the world map. 

Each country is neatly labelled and has smaller images filling its borders, probably representative of the country. The U.S. and Canada have each state or province separated out as well. Dotting the wall are small photos of campers, assumedly pasted where they call home. Immediately, he sees Will's photo in Texas.

“It's pretty cool, isn't it?” Cecil says, “I always forget that you never got to see it. We used to rearrange for the summers so it could be visible, let everyone be able to see their home. We'd cover it with the bunks during the school year so we'd have more floor space, but it was pointless to try for floor space during summer.”

Nico nods, still in awe of the mural, “Who made it?”

Out of nowhere, Connor appears. His expression is grim as he joins his half brother and Nico in looking at the mural, “I did all the lettering and the outline. My dyslexia isn't too bad and I had the strongest navigation gifts to have the map memorized. Luke and Ethan did the bulk of it, though.”

“Castellan and Nakamura? The ones with a total of two working eyes between them?” Nico asks in shock. 

Connor laughs, “They both had full vision back when they made it— Damn good artists too. We were all full-time campers, but Ethan couldn't take any classes. Luke thought of the project so he'd have something to do, I just tagged along to get out of Chiron’s classes. Actually, I think Will helped a bit too, since he couldn't take classes either for a while.”

“Why couldn't Will and Ethan take classes? Is that why Will gets his school stuff from Texas?” Nico's shock continues as Connor keeps talking. 

“Camp was pretty different back then. This was a looong time ago, mind you. Luke wasn't even the summer counselor yet. Chiron was… stubborn in his ways. More than he is now. And Will could only really communicate in ASL unless it was dead silent, paced just right, and you were facing him. Ethan was decent at English, but not enough to keep up in school. Chiron didn't have the patience to actually try teaching either of them. Will got lucky and got something figured out with his mortal school, but Ethan wasn't as lucky. He'd usually just sit in here all day drawing or translating stuff for his dad.”

“Holy shit, really?” Cecil exclaims in shock, “I got here a little before you did, Nico. It wasn't ever that bad when I was here.”

Connor nods, grimacing, “And Luke really did try for Ethan and Will. He did everything he could and more. So that's why he made this project, so Ethan could have something to do and maybe make some friends besides Will. But anyways, it's nice to have a piece of home, so we keep it.” 

“I didn't know that Will knew Ethan Nakamura like that,” comments Nico. 

Connor huffs out a laugh and nervously runs his hand through his hair, “Gods, really? He was probably closer with Luke and Ethan than I was… and I lived with them. Will, Luke, Ethan, Beckendorf, Lee, and Silena were inseparable. I'd bet you Will still has the art they made for him, we still have some of the stuff Luke and Ethan were gifted by Will in our attic.”

It seems like they were a huge part of Will's life, yet Nico's almost never heard him talk about them. The only time he can really recall is that one day after Will had that argument with Kayla, but even that felt brief. Does Will not trust me enough? Did I do something wrong? 

“Connor, you made Nico overthink. You gotta work on the delivery bro,” Cecil interrupts his spiraling, “Nico, chill. Will prolly doesn't talk about it because it’s hard for him to think about. Man's best friends, before you came along, all died or betrayed him. Don't take it personally.”

“...I'm his best friend?” Nico questions skeptically.

Cecil scoffs, “Seriously? ‘ I'm his best friend?’ The guy spends every possible moment he can with you and every moment he's not talking about being with you. I haven't seen Will this enthralled with anything except special interests since ever. You're stuck with him whether you like it or not.”

“Yeah dude. Will kinda closed himself off after Luke and Ethan left, even more after the Labyrinth and Manhattan. It's nice to see him actually happy again. He's been having a hard time, I was getting pretty worried. You're as good for him as he is for you,” Connor adds.

Nico awkwardly coughs, “Well uh… I guess speaking of Will, that's why I came here. I wanna get him something, like a thanks for being a good friend, but I have no clue what to get him. I made this list but uh… it's not very helpful,” he explains, showing the list to the two other boys. 

Connor starts to read the list aloud for Cecil, struggling to hold back his laughter as he goes through each item. By the end of it, Nico's red hot with embarrassment and the two sons of Hermes are doubled over laughing. 

“I warned you it's not a very good list!” Nico defends himself.

“No, no, no. It's perfect. ‘Music maybe I don't know if he actually likes that or just pretends’ is a national treasure,” Connor reassures, not very reassuringly considering he's still uncontrollably laughing. 

Nico groans, “Can you help me or not? I don't know any of the mortal stores around here or like… most modern media.”

“Yeah I gotchu! I'm doing a local supply run today, you can come with me. Chiron will prolly say it's okay, he likes when Camp isn’t at the whim of me. Bring your wheelchair though, it's a lot of walking,” Connor gleefully offers.

As predicted when the two boys go to ask Chiron, the immortal all but sends a hallelujah to the gods. Connor has meticulously organized lists split across 5 different stores across the island. Chiron hands them the keys, a blue plastic thing, and the camp debit card with a stern reminder that everything is paid for and to please not get Camp banned from stores.

Connor leads Nico to a fleet of vehicles that he's never seen before. Then again, Nico usually just shadow travels places so there's no reason for him to know about the cars. Connor holds the key up in the air and presses a button a bunch of times, making a minivan rapidly flash its lights. He pushes another button on the keys and the car lowers itself and releases a ramp. 

“You guys make cars that do that now?!” Nico exclaims.

“Mortals make cars that do that, ours is cooler on the inside,” Connor smiles. 

Nico wheels himself up the ramp to see the space next to the driver’s seat empty. Connor directs him to situate his chair in the empty space, then presses a button on the console. Straps automatically swing out and hook themselves onto Nico’s chair so he’s securely in place. At the same time, a platform rises out of the floor until Nico’s at the same height as Connor. 

“Thank Leo for that one, it’s new. I think he finished it a few days ago. Super fucking cool, that kid is like a genius with access stuff I swear,” Connor says as he starts the car and shuffles through music options. 

Nico nods, “Did you see those patches he was making at Pollux's party?” 

“He showed me them when we were chilling in the infirmary the other day! They're working now, literally no clue how the guy does it,” Connor admires, “Anyways, first stop is the pharmacy for the infirmary restock and prescriptions.”

It only takes them about ten minutes to get to the pharmacy. Connor is a pretty good driver and hangs up the blue piece of plastic as he pulls into a parking spot. Nico looks at it confused and watches as Connor flips through a folder filled with camper prescriptions. 

“Accessible parking placard ‘cause you're with me. You can push that same button I did to retract the tie downs and lower the platform, there's a button by the door for the ramp,” Connor explains before getting out, “We have a big order this time, so you can come with me if you want or just look around the store.”

Nico decides to go with Connor, the local pharmacy doesn't really have much to look at anyways. Connor heads to the back counter, Nico beside him, and the pharmacist immediately notices the two. 

“Hey Connor! We have the nurse's office supplies ready for you already, I can get somebody to load it into your car. What else do you need?” the pharmacist cheerfully asks. 

“I've got a different car today, the minivan in the accessible spot. This is Nico, he's also a staff member! He teaches some of the PE and history classes with me and Will. Speaking of Will, we have a bunch of prescriptions that need to be filled,” Connor says, matching the gleeful tone. 

“Sweet, I'll send them now. Nice to meet you Nico, I'm Phoenix, local town pharmacist and doctor. I swear, you student teachers just keep getting younger and younger, or maybe I'm just getting old!” they joke, “Anyways, run me through the prescriptions.”

“Alright, the big ones first. Leonidas Valdez needs his Zofran injections and pills, Tramadol, Reglan, formula, partial IV nutrition, syringes and 26g needles, tubing and other feed supplies, and fluids. Also Will wants to try upping the frequency of the lidocaine blockers since his pain’s been worse, so another bottle of that and morphine too,” Connor says, handing over a pile of prescriptions. 

Nico didn't know that Leo's pain has been worse lately, he supposes that's why he's been working so much on pain management stuff for himself. He remembers back to when Leo offhandedly mentioned that he's in ridiculous amounts of pain, but he never realized that Leo did such a good job of hiding how bad it was. He makes a mental note to go check on Leo, it's been awhile since he's seen him. 

“Haven't heard that name in a while, he doing alright?” the pharmacist asks, handing the prescriptions to the tech working. 

“Yeah, he was just in the hospital. You know how it is,” Connor smoothly lies, then continues as he pulls out another bundle of papers, “Perseus Jackson needs refills on Advair, Airsupra, Ventolin, prednisone, and Zoloft. He also needs Albuterol, cromolyn sodium, saline, and Yupelri nebulized meds. Will wants to see if he'll be willing to try some codeine for the pain and Zofran because he's been getting pretty nauseous these days.”

“Good to hear he's finally getting something more for the pain and nausea. How's his breathing these days?” Phoenix nods, glancing at the prescriptions briefly before passing them on to the pharmacy tech. 

“Ehhh it's been better, it's been worse. Then we just need the usual for everything else, plus my Lexapro,” Connor replies, handing over the last of the papers. 

At that, Phoenix disappears to the back. Presumably to get all the meds. 

“How do they know about Leo and Percy?” Nico asks. 

“We need mortal doctor connections so Will can be a good Head Healer. Your sister might've filled them out for you, but everybody signs ROIs to Phoenix since they're the closest practice. Also, Phoenix thinks that we're a specialized year round school for Disabled and Neurodivergent kids and we're teachers,” Connor quickly explains in a hushed voice. 

“What?! How— we don't look old enough for that?” Nico questions further. 

“Chiron wraps Mist around us before we leave,” replies Connor, just before Phoenix returns. 

“Alright, here's everything! All on the school card as usual I assume?” Phoenix more or less asks, shoving three large boxes in Connor’s direction. 

Connor hands over the camp card, “Leo and Percy in the bottom box, OTC in the middle, everybody else in the top?”

“Yep! Heads up, Leo's is heavier than normal since there's PPN too. Yanno, Leo qualifies for home delivery since he's on SSI and Medicaid, we could set that up so you don't have to lug all of that back to the school?” Phoenix offers, “Percy would definitely qualify too, has he ever considered applying for Disability?”

“Nah, it's okay. The place is kinda hard to find, everybody gets lost getting to it. And I'll bring it up with Percy, he probably won’t want to though,” Connor waves off the offer, “Could you help us take a box out to the car though?”

Phoenix agrees and Nico balances the lightest box on his lap while they head back to the car. The car already has a few smaller boxes loaded into the trunk. 

“Y'all must be charging some hell of a tuition to afford a van this nice and new,” the pharmacist comments, “Anyways, see you again next week!”

The two boys get back into the car, “Alright, next stop is the book store. We got a few requests, but we can look for something for Will too. He loves reading, even if you've never seen him reading before,” Connor says with a devious smirk. 

Nico facepalms, “I really should've edited that list before I showed you, you're never gonna let me live that down.”

“Nope! Anyways, the place we're going to is Will's favorite. They got a location in the city, but this one's the original,” Connor explains.

They drive for another ten or so minutes until they approach a large building that obviously used to be a house. Which worries Nico, because those tend to be inaccessible and he's not prepared to do that much walking. Still, there's a parking spot that works for their car so he assumes it'll be okay. 

“They gutted the inside, it's more accessible than it looks. Promise,” Connor reassures Nico as they approach the building. 

“Hey Connor! Good to see you, whatcha need this week?” the bookkeeper greets him, “And who's the new face?”

Connor pulls out another list, “Hey Lena, this is Nico! Nice to see you too. Anyways, here's the requests this week.”

“Looks good, need anything else?” Lena asks. 

“Yeah! Nico's trying to get something for Will, you got anything new he might like?” Connor replies. 

Lena turns to talk to Nico, “What kind of vibe are you thinking?”

What does that even mean? “Uh… I don't know. Just matters that he'll like it and hasn't read it yet,” Nico answers, only slightly worried it was the wrong thing to say. 

“Hmmm, alright I got a couple things. Follow me,” Lena leads the two to a nearby shelf, “First one is Mooncakes— a graphic novel with fantasy, queerness, disability stuff, and just a cute easy read. Pretty new so he probably hasn't read it yet.”

“He doesn't have that one yet and neither does our library,” Connor adds, getting inquisitive looks from Nico and Lena, “Photographic spatial memory, I remember all the physical things in places I've been.”

“That one sounds good, maybe another one too?” Nico asks. 

“We just got this one in, it's pretty new. Definitely up Will's alley,” Lena says, leading them to another section of the store, “Audiobook + print book duo, The Future is Disabled. It's nonfiction, written by one of Will's favorite Disability Justice authors. I know he doesn't really do audiobooks, but I really like the way that Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha reads her stuff.”

“Will's Deaf, remember? He misses a lot without being able to lipread and doesn't like hearing when he reads,” Connor gently reminds.

However, Nico can hear the tinge of annoyance in Connor's voice. It would probably annoy Will too. Scratch that, it'd definitely annoy Will. Nico's mind wanders, pondering how much of their conversations Will might've missed but never said anything about. No wonder he prefers ASL whenever anybody's willing to learn enough to actually talk to him. Nonetheless, he tunes back in to seeing Lena profusely apologizing. 

“It’s okay, maybe I’ll keep the audiobook so that I can read it with him. I’ll pay for my stuff separate from Connor’s order,” Nico moves the conversation along. 

“Are you any good at reading Italian? They have some books in Italian here if you wanna get any,” asks Connor.  

“I’m fluent and my dyslexia isn’t too bad in Italian. Maybe I’ll get a couple,” Nico replies, then turning to Lena, “Where are those?”

She leads them to another section of the shop, it’s only a fraction of the shelf that has Italian books. Most of them are in Spanish, which Nico supposes makes sense. He doesn’t recognize any of the titles, then again most of the books he’s read recently are from his dad’s library and older than anybody alive today. Still, he finds one book that looks interesting to him, makes his purchases, and the two boys continue on their journey. 

They briefly stop at a little grocery mart where Connor runs in by himself to grab a bagful of items before moving on. The next stretch of travel is longer, almost forty minutes, so Nico sketches a quick drawing of a park in Venice on the inside cover of one of the books that he got Will. He finishes just as they pull into the parking lot. 

“Last stop’s a supermarket. It’s usually the busiest, just a heads up,” Connor warns Nico, taking a deep breath before exiting the minivan. 

Before Nico can even get to the door to lower the ramp, Connor quickly knocks on the window and signs to him telling him to stay in the car. Suspicious, is there a monster? I can fight just fine. A person, who looks perfectly normal and mortal, approaches Connor. It’s some lady with a cart and two toddlers heading towards the store— and she does not look happy. Nico's more than happy to stay in the car now. Not that he’s incapable of dealing with mortals, but he prefers not to when he can. 

“Hello ma’am, how are you?” Connor greets her. His voice is completely different from any way that Nico’s ever heard him speak before and he’s holding his hands together like he’s forcing them to be still. 

“Don’t you ma’am me! You know what you’re doing wrong!” she accuses, much to Nico’s confusion. Connor doesn’t look confused, though.

“I assure you, I haven’t done anything wrong,” Connor says. Nico can practically feel Connor weaving as much of his powers as he can into his words, it seems ineffective though. 

“You’re stealing this spot! Faking it! I had to park with my kids all the way over there because of you!” she continues yelling.

“Do you need the access lane? I can move in a minute if you do,” Connor asks as calmly as he can, even though Nico can tell how nervous he is with the way his powers waver. Not that he looks it to anybody else, but anybody that knows him could tell. 

“I should call the police on you! My poor kids have to walk nearly a mile now because of you! Think about their poor legs!” the woman spits back. 

“You can do that, but meanwhile my friend and I are gonna go shopping,” Connor replies with his words still laced with divinity, he then knocks again on the window and speaks louder, “Nico, let's go.”

Nico listens to his friend, lowering the ramp and moving to be situated beside Connor and smirking slightly, “You were saying something about your kids having to walk? Oops.”

At that, the two boys turn and start making their way towards the store, leaving the woman there standing there with her mouth agape. Nico notices that Connor looks stiff, like he’s forcibly trying to keep himself still, despite the efforts his hands are shaking a lot though. As soon as they enter the automatic sliding doors, Connor winces and covers one of his ears with his hand. Nico barely catches the son of Hermes sign “bathroom” before he veers off to the side to a hallway with a family restroom. 

Connor firmly locks the door just as Nico catches up. Nico sits quietly outside of the door, listening to his friend’s rapid breathing and choked sobs. It makes him feel powerless. To just listen to Connor, who held himself together so carefully just five minutes ago, just break down completely. Nico hesitates before he knocks on the door.

“Can you let me in, Connor? It’s just Nico,” he gently asks. 

He hears the lock click and he enters the bathroom. All the lights are off and Connor’s sitting in the far corner. As soon as Nico closes the door again, it takes everything within him not to be reminded of the jar. Connor holds a hand out in the air, sharply twisting it and the lock clicks back into place. It’s hard for Nico to see the son of Hermes at all with the lighting, but he manages to sit down on the floor a couple feet away. He notices an open messenger bag on the floor next to them, but Connor’s too busy covering his ears to even think about finding what he wants. 

Nico digs through the bag, feeling around to try to figure out what’s inside. The first thing he feels is a wallet, then he feels some hard round plastic. He pulls it out to find headphones, which he gently puts on Connor’s head. Connor still keeps his hands clasped over the cups of the headphones, as if to keep it even quieter. Nico continues digging through the bag to find some fidgets and the weighted pad that Connor had put on Nico’s lap all that time ago. He does the same, hoping to help calm down his friend. Then, they just sit in silence. Connor’s rapidly moving his hands as if his life depends on it. Eventually, he calms down enough to look at Nico.

“Lights okay,” Connor whispers in a strained tone. 

Nico flicks on the lights and then returns to where he was sitting on the floor. He feels his ankle get briefly pushed out of place, but it goes back by itself without a problem. Connor pulls out a pen and the journal full of lists and jots something down.

Can’t talk much rn. It’s okay if you do. 

“Do you need anything?” Nico asks. 

Connor shakes his head and continues writing, I’m okay to shop, just can’t talk. You shouldn’t be sitting on the floor, it’s germy. 

Nico pulls himself back up to his wheelchair, “Alright, lemme see the list.”

It looks like the bulk of the requests are clothes, a few board games, school supplies, and some sports stuff. The last two items on the list are circled and underlined about a million times. One is a present for Travis, apparently Connor was planning to lift something called a Nintendo Switch and games for his brother. The other item was, assumedly, a present idea for Will. Nico doesn’t really know what else “WILL LEGO??” could mean, anyways. 

As if nothing had happened, Connor grabs a cart and starts heading towards the clothing section right in front of them. He carefully picks out clothes, but is also moving so fast that Nico has no idea how he’s doing it. Before Nico knows it, they’re standing in the toy section and have already gotten nearly everything else on the list. 

Connor waves in front of Nico’s face and starts signing, “Legos, Will likes making them. They have Star Wars ones.”

Nico gazes at the wall of boxes, it’s wild to him how many toy choices they have in this century. He carefully looks at each of them before settling on one of a cool looking spaceship thing that he thinks is from Star Wars. Well, it has the logo on it so he assumes it is. Connor’s eyes go wide when Nico puts it into the cart. 

“This is over $200! Are you sure?” Connor exclaims in ASL.

“Money isn’t real to me, don’t worry about it,” Nico replies, referring to the Lotus Casino card he still has and is choosing not to let Connor know about the place if he can help it. That feels like a recipe for disaster. 

Connor surrenders, then the two make their way to the electronics section. Connor crouches down at a locked cabinet. Well, it doesn’t stay locked for very long. As soon as the son of Hermes touches it, the plastic door opens. He picks out an expensive model, the security device shedding off of it as well. Barely even glancing at a camera, he holds out a hand and pulls it into a fist as he shoves the gaming system into his messenger bag. As he holds the fist, he rifles through the games and picks out a handful of them. 

When his bag is closed, he releases his hand and turns to speak to Nico, “I think I’ve got everything, wanna look at anything else?”

Nico, still in shock at the display of divine powers, quietly shakes his head. Don’t get him wrong, he’s stolen a lot of things in his time. It comes with the territory of living on the streets. But he never tried to take something so extravagant, or seen it done with such ease. As they check out, Connor strikes up casual conversation with the cashier. Not a single sign of nerves or the meltdown from earlier. When they get back to the car, Connor loads everything in while Nico gets settled.

“So lemme get this right, you freaked out that I bought a $200 thing and you stole like $500 of stuff like it’s nothing?” Nico jokingly asks. 

“Light work. Supermarkets are always easy, their cameras are trash. I barely have to try to disable them and get the security locks off,” Connor smirks back, “But damn, there’s nothing like a good five finger discount to get me feelin’ better!”

“That’s good. That you’re feeling better now that is,” Nico replies.

“Yeah, high emotions like that always mess me up. It was just a bad combo because I was already anxious about being here and getting overstimulated, perfect storm for a meltdown,” Connor explains, “Thanks for the help, by the way. You okay?”

Nico nods, “How long back to camp?”

“Like an hour and a half, but we can stop for food halfway if you wanna. There’s a Korean fusion place I like. Wanna try it?”

Nico agrees. His camp friends have never misled him in terms of food so far. Pretty quickly into the car ride, Nico falls asleep. He never realized that shopping could be so exhausting, even sitting. When he wakes up, they’re pulling into the restaurant parking lot. As predicted, the food tastes great. He gets something called a burrito bowl, but it’s with some imitation marinated meat— which is apparently the fusion part. 

Unfortunately for Nico, the day really starts to catch up to him towards the end of the meal and he starts feeling pretty lightheaded. He doesn’t really remember much of it, but he knows that Connor helps him into the van and lay down across the back seats, where he ends up slipping in and out of consciousness until they get back to camp. 

When he wakes up, he’s in the infirmary and Will and Connor are sitting in chairs next to the bed. It looks like it’s the middle of the night, considering it's pitch black outside and the other two boys are fast asleep. He sits up, which makes his heart rate spike and the monitor starts beeping. So much for letting them sleep. 

Will stirs awake, apparently having left his CIs in, shortly followed by Connor. Will immediately jumps into medic mode, “You should lay down, your POTS is freaking out from overexertion. How do you feel? Is your pain any worse? Are you still nauseous?”

“Will, you gotta give him a chance to answer your questions,” Connor chuckles.

“I feel fine enough, my shoulder kinda hurts but pain’s okay. The normal amount. And I was nauseous?” Nico asks. 

“Dude, I hate to tell you this but when we got back you totally puked on Will. You were pretty out of it though, completely popped your shoulder out of place trying to sit up by yourself too. You sure you're good now?” explains Connor. 

Nico shrugs, “I don't remember any of that. I'm not any more dizzy than usual.”

Will tsks, “I'm gonna adjust your meds a bit, I'm gonna add in some mortal stuff. It shouldn't knock you out this hard to go out for a day. It's worrying, Neeks. I don't understand why your POTS have been so bad lately.”

As if magically summoned, Leo enters the room, “October slide, happens to me too. It's not October yet, but a lot of EDS patients get worse around the end of summer-start of fall. It's why my body's been freaking out lately.”

“Shit sorry, did we wake you?” Connor asks. 

Leo waves him off, “Nah, I've been awake. I figured I'd rather be miserable with friends than miserable alone.”

“You need another round of meds?” Will replies worriedly. 

“Can't for another couple hours. Don't worry, this is normal,” Leo smiles warmly, “Yo Con, were you able to find the book I asked for?”

Connor digs through a bag and pulls out a book. It doesn't look like it's in English, but Nico can't read it either— he can usually get by with Spanish. Regardless, the book has a pretty cover with an illustration of florals, plants, and dishes of food. 

“Xtyozën yëbu, Thanks!” Leo exclaims, “It's a cookbook with stories, somebody from back home wrote it. I was hoping I’ll be able to stomach some traditional foods since it's what my body's made to handle. I really miss eating.”

“Oh! Will, I got you a few things while we were out. Did you bring them here, Connor?” Nico recalls aloud. Connor nods and hands Nico a bag, who then hands it to Will, “Just some things I thought you'd like.”

Will excitedly opens the bag. When he sees the books, he squeals with glee “Oh my gods! I heard about these books! I've been wanting to read them so badly. And holy shit did you draw in this!? It looks so good! I'm scanning this and keeping it forever with all the rest of my art.”

“There's more,” Nico says with a small smile. 

“OH MY GODS is this what I think it is?? No way!” Will exclaims, flapping his hands with joy and wiggling in his seat as he inspects the Lego set, “I've been looking at this set for so long! How did you know? Can I hug you?”

Nico happily nods, melting into the feeling of the healer’s embrace. Everything feels right at that moment. Even though he feels kinda awful, it's okay. Because he's there with his friends and Will and all the joy and warmth he could ever ask for. When Will lets go, the feeling doesn't disappear either. 

“I'm really happy you like it,” Nico beams. 

“Gods, I haven't gotten excited about presents like that since before everything with the prophecies kicked off,” Will sighs in relief, “I didn't even realize how much I needed something good like that. Thank you so fucking much.”

“What was it like? Before everything?” Nico asks, recalling his conversation back in the Hermes cabin. 

Will smiles, a tinge of melancholy behind his eyes, “It was really hard sometimes and it was really nice sometimes. I had this group of friends, they meant everything to me. You uhh… you’ve probably heard of them. At the core the group was Beckendorf and Luke, by extension it was also Silena, Lee, Ethan, and Castor. Sometimes the Stolls and Pollux. They were good people. Hurting, but good. I miss them a lot.”

“I didn't know,” Nico says. 

“Luke had language gifts, so he was fluent in ASL because he was best friends with Beck. He got so many people to learn ASL for me. And Ethan used to make all these drawings for me, he taught me how to draw. We would spend hours and hours together, just talking and laughing and shootin’ the shit. And then everything changed, and people left… or worse. I just forgot how much I missed feeling like I used to,” Will continues to recall. 

“I think a lot of us forgot what it's like to just be… safe and happy. It's been a long few years,” Connor agrees. 

“My social worker once told me that PTSD makes it harder for us to regulate what safety is and get back to a safe state. It gets like… written into our brains and nervous systems. You guys had like… four straight years of trauma. That shit does a number on your body. And now that it's over, now that you're not constantly being threatened, you get the chance to feel safe again,” Leo explains. 

“Shit dude, you've broken the code. When'd you become a damn therapist?” Connor smiles warmly. 

Leo shrugs, “You pick up a few things when you spend eight years collecting traumas in foster care and needing therapy as fuck to stay alive.”

Will yawns, then his eyes widen, “Shit sorry, I swear I'm interested. It's just 3:30AM, I'll be fine after some coffee.”

“Bro, go to sleep. Both of you should,” Leo says, looking at Will and Connor.

Will weakly argues back, “I've gotta stay up to monitor—”

“Look, I've been the same amount of sick for like a week and a half now. I can function as long as I don't try to eat. I'll keep Nico company and page you if anything happens. Get outta here and get some real sleep,” Leo replies, the other two boys reluctantly agreeing and leaving the room. 

The room quiets and the two boys sit in silence. Leo's flipping through his book skimming some of the recipes. It looks like he's taking a mental inventory of ingredients and where he might try to get them. 

“Have you been here since I last saw you?” Nico breaks the silence.

“More or less. I try to stay in my room when I can since it's more comfortable, I don’t like hospitals. I haven't been able to do a whole lot since we last talked besides fixing up that minivan, but Hephaestus stuff is my health crap exception,” Leo responds. 

“Sorry you've been feeling so shitty,” says Nico.

“It’s whatever. Sounds like you haven't been much better, your POTS have been giving you a run for your money,” Leo replies lightheartedly.

“Yeah, well at least I'm not conscious when I feel awful. Did I really barf on Will?” Nico jokes back. 

“Bro, multiple times. You were giving real Leo-core with that one. Scared the shit outta the ableds, it was hilarious,” Leo banters in return, “Seriously though, it's good to see you lucid and all that now.”

Nico goes bright red with embarrassment at the new found information, “That thing you told Will, the October slide, is that true?” he changes to topic.

“Always has been for me at least, it’s what my mortal doctors said too. Well the past couple of Octobers have been hard for me for… other reasons, but yeah. I'm kinda used to feeling awful this time of year,” Leo replies, “But speaking of Will… you wanna talk more about him? That's a damn nice surprise you got him. Somebody might start thinkin’ things.”

“Is it really that obvious?” Nico groans. 

“So, so obvious, loverboy,” Leo smirks, “I don't think Will's caught on though. He’s oblivious as fuck. You got him like $300 of presents, nothing says madly in love like that!”

“Gods, don't remind me. Money isn't real to me, that's not my fault. I still don't understand how inflation happened,” Nico groans even louder, “I just think he's nice, and deserves nice things! Sue me!”

Leo deviously grins, “You're sooo whipped.”

Chapter Text

After a week of taking it easy and adjusting to the new meds Will started him on, Nico's feeling a lot better. He hadn't even realized how bad he was feeling before until he didn't constantly have a slightly annoying headache and feel dizzy anymore. Who knew?  

He spends most of the week in the infirmary— not because he’s so unwell that he couldn't be alone, but more so because Will is there. Also he doesn’t mind keeping Leo company. Leo, who doesn’t hesitate to point out a million different times how obvious Nico is and how oblivious the healer is. 

The day Nico actually braves the great outdoors it's the last full day with summer campers, checkout being at 2pm sharp tomorrow. So naturally, Camp is in a state of total chaos. All of the cabins are frantically deep cleaning for final inspections, get the summer-only campers all packed up, and make the year-round campers vaguely organize their belongings. Of course, while juggling the normal counselor responsibilities too. 

Luckily for Nico, exactly none of that is his problem. His place is usually clean enough between not having a lot of things and Jason always cleaning his place when he comes over. Plus, Mr. D secretly told him and Percy that he’ll be more lenient for their inspections. He made an excuse about not wanting to piss off their dads, but Nico knows that’s not the real reason. 

Of the cabins in total chaos, the Apollo cabin is most definitely included. Nico goes over to visit Will and is met with the full force of a bunch of Apollo kid pandemonium. It’s louder than he’s ever heard it before with overlapping shouting of lost items, requests, and questions— on top of music playing too, of course. 

Nico doesn’t even have to knock to enter, because the door is wide open. He tentatively enters, standing right inside the doorway and looking around for Will. Across the room, he spots the Head Counselor talking to one of his youngest siblings.

”Adalie, I can’t hear you— even if you shout. You need to face me and talk normally. I’m Deaf, remember?” Will sternly says, crouching down to her level, “Now tell me, what’s up?”

”I can’t find my shoes! I think that Marley stole them! Or my flute, why are all my things not here?” the younger girl explains, not really looking at Will or talking normally at all.

Will sighs, “Say again?”

She repeats it the exact same way and Will looks just as lost. That’s when Nico walks over and taps Will on the shoulder. It’s strange to him that it seems like almost none of Will’s siblings know a lot of ASL. Not that Nico’s anywhere near as fluent as Kayla or the Stolls, but it looks like they don’t even really know a basic amount. When Will turns to see Nico, any stress on his face washes away and he warmly smiles.

”Gods, I could really use your face right now, Neeks. Welcome to the end of summer shi… shiz show,” Will says.

”It’s loud in here,” Nico names, trying to hint that he can tell Will’s stressed.

Will groans, “I know, last day of summer is always like… old Hermes cabin levels of wild. I always forget how bad it is.”

”She can’t find her shoes.” Nico switches to ASL, “or her flute, she thinks Marley stole them.”

”Thanks, sunshine,” Will smiles as he switches to ASL too, “My youngest siblings aren't that good at computing that I’m Deaf since I’m so good at passing as hearing these days.”

”Let me help you,” Nico requests, half offering and half insisting. 

“I don’t wanna make you stay and deal with all this, you should still be taking it easy. Not dealing with my Deaf shit and interpreting for me,” Will refutes.

”I want to help, I don't mind dealing with all your Deaf shit,” Nico replies, “So what do you want me to do?”

Will looks overwhelmed and lost, “I don’t know, it’s too loud in here for me to think let alone focus on lipreading. And I still have to do a bunch of stuff in the infirmary.”

”I got you,” Nico signs before switching to English, “Hey! I will summon a zombie right now if you don’t all take it down like 50 levels! This is a threat! And I’ll make sure it’s one that plays a slightly off tune instrument!”

Immediately the cabin goes silent, they look uneasy. Nico doesn’t mind making people uneasy for Will’s sake. He’s worth it.

“Y'all, he’s not going to do that,” Will reassures them.

”I will do that,” Nico smirks as he interrupts.

Will sighs dramatically, “Alright but seriously, I cannot hear anything right now with the noise level. My CIs are not perfect, I need y’all to understand that. If you want to talk to me you have three choices: non-oral communication like signing or writing, keep eye contact with me the whole time and talk clearly, or keep it at our normal noise level. Got it?”

”Yes Will,” the room replies in unison, the room returning to a much more reasonable low buzz of voices. 

“Sorry they don’t get it,” Nico signs to Will, “It seems annoying.”

Will shrugs, “Yeah, but I'm pretty used to it. I just miss having another Deaf person here. It was easier to deal with when I could have more breaks, yanno?”

Nico nods, he doesn't really know what to say so he just squeezes Will’s hand and heads towards a kid who's struggling to decide what to pack and what to leave. Different kids flock around him, sitting on the floor for him to help them sort through their belongings. 

It's pretty easy for them to see his braces and crutches and get the point that he's not wanting to move around too much, so they mostly come to him. It's really cute to see all the little crafts and junk that the kids have accumulated over the summer. By the time the breakfast horn rings through camp, the youngest children of Apollo are all finished packing or cleaning up their area.

“You really saved the day, darling,” Will says, offering his arm to help Nico up, “You didn’t have to do all of that.”

He happily accepts the offer, “I didn't have anything to do, I wanted to help you out.”

“They really liked you, it was cute seeing you with all the little kids,” Will says, “How are you feeling? My siblings can be… a lot to handle.”

“I'm alright, promise. Just hungry,” Nico reassures Will, “Are you okay?”

”Better with you here, let’s go eat,” Will smiles.

The two make their way towards the Mess Hall, which seems louder than usual. Nico doesn’t really understand that, why are people louder just because they’re leaving tomorrow? It feels unnecessary. But then again, literally none of this has to be his problem if he doesn’t want it to be. Will wordlessly follows Nico with his plate to the Big Three table. Almost as soon as he sits down, he takes off his CIs and rests his head on the table as he nibbles on a bowl of dry cereal. 

After a few minutes of not moving, Nico taps Will’s knee and signs just in his eye view, “You okay?”

”Just really overstimulated,” Will mumbles out a reply.

“Let’s get outta here, we can eat in my cabin,” Nico suggests.

“But then I need to get up,” Will groans, “And put my plate away and do offerings and decide what I'm gonna sacrifice. And then I need to walk all the way there and it's just too much.”

“We’ll get there together,” Nico reassures.

“I just… I can’t explain it. Can you get Connor?” Will asks, his leg starting to rapidly bounce under the table.

Nico tries not to feel too hurt about it, he knows it’s not personal. Will probably just wants somebody that signs better or has known him longer. Still, it hurts. He can’t help but feel like something about him isn’t enough for Will. As he gets up and moves towards the Hermes table just across the way, he forces himself to push away that thought.

“Will’s asking for you,” Nico relays as he approaches Connor.

“Ah shit, yeah I’m coming,” Connor replies, “Don’t take it personally, I can tell you’re taking it personally. It’s leftovers from the old days. Luke, Beck, and I were the main people who could calm down Will. When he gets super overstimulated he gets real rigid with routines and his executive function goes to shit. I’m just all that’s left really.”

Nico nods, his anxiety dissipating. It's not that he forgets that Will’s also autistic, it's more that Will actively tries to mask it as much as he can around everyone. Even Nico. As much as Nico tries to take note of the little things about Will and inventory all of them in his mind, it's kinda hard to work with next to nothing. They arrive back at the Big Three table and sit near Will.

Connor sticks a hand under Will’s and signs something, Will picks up his head and stares at him quietly. The son of Hermes grabs something out of his bag and places it on Will's lap. Then, he fishes something out of his pocket and presses it into Will's hand.

“You're in control. Focus on the feeling of the pad on your lap and the plastic in your hand. It's just me and Nico here, nobody's watching. Let your body move how it needs to,” Connor signs, muttering the English translations under his breath, "You've got this.”

After some time of sitting there, Connor repeating the same words over and over again as he mirrors Will's movements, the son of Apollo finally starts to look less tense. He signs something so quickly that Nico can't catch it, but Connor seems to get the point. 

“I'm going to talk to Kayla about taking over finishing up cabin things, then I'm gonna come back and we can go to Nico's cabin together. Jason and Percy will do their morning meds at Percy's today, and I'll bring you the files you need from the infirmary. Does all of that sound okay?” Connor asks Will, who signs a quick okay in response.

As promised, Connor does exactly what he said he would and the three migrate towards Nico's cabin. Nico gets settled with his meds on the couch, while Will flops face down next to him. He grabs Nico’s hand and puts it onto his back, which Nico finds absolutely adorable. Taking the not-so-subtle cue, he rubs circles on the son of Apollo's back. Will’s muscles relax under his hand.

“Pass that trashcan next to you?” Nico asks Connor, turning his head away from Will to cough a few times.

“You think you gonna get sick?” Connor nervously asks as he hands over the bin.

It's pretty obvious he's remembering back to when he spent time with Percy during his flare. Nico didn't know this at the time, but a huge thing that makes him and Percy different is that the older teen’s conditions make him sick to his stomach a lot of the time. He thought that it was just a flare thing, but Percy later revealed that it happens a lot on normal days too.

Honestly, Nico didn't even know that could be a side effect. But then again, it's sorta abundantly clear that Percy’s lung stuff is at a way more advanced stage than his. Anyways, it's not exactly that the son of Hermes has emetophobia or anything, it's more so that he just doesn't love being around it if he can help it.

“No, I don't get sick like that unless I'm like… normal sick too,” Nico assures him, “I usually cough up crap into tissues. Can't do that and rub Will’s back, so it's less graceful today.”

Connor smirks, “Alright loverboy. You're lucky he can't hear you being all mushy right now, Mr. Subtle.”

The three boys end up spending the rest of the day in Cabin 13. Will spends most of it curled up against Nico like a cat as he does infirmary paperwork, happily dealing with all the times the son of Hades has to reposition himself to get more comfortable. Even though Will doesn't really talk much, Nico feels like he learns a lot about him— he doesn't like the feeling of most fabrics, pain-seeking stims help him, he likes touch but only when it's on his own terms, he prefers ASL when this happens, hearing exhausts and overwhelms him even more.

Here's the thing that Nico comes to realize about Will: he spends so much of his time bending himself to make other people more comfortable. He uses English and his CIs to make it easier on others. He masks his autistic traits and doesn't let himself show too much joy because of that. He lets it slide time and time again when people get mad when he asks them to repeat themselves. So the least Nico feels like he can do is give Will one place of respite where he doesn't need to keep up the façade. Right?

By the time they have to get ready for the bead ceremony, Will has put his CIs back on and adjusted to having to hear and speak English again. All day, he’s been staying close to Nico. Whether it's sitting close enough that their legs touch, holding hands, or settled in Nico's embrace, he's made sure they're touching in some way. And Nico adores it. Usually he only likes being touched if it's when he's freaking out or just in passing at most, but it feels different with Will. Different in the best ways.

 Will only leaves Nico's side when they arrive at the bead ceremony, which has a strict seating chart by cabin. Without any surprise, the bead this year is orange and purple with an image of the Argo II with the names of fallen campers and questers engraved on it. All the counselors and questers are invited to speak, nobody seems particularly enthused but oblige anyways.

Other than that, the ceremony goes fine and the following feast is good too. The seating is different than usual, with the demigods of the Argo all at one table and the remaining counselors at another. Nico sits next to Leo, who still isn't feeling up to eating much but wants to be with people. He's fidgeting with some wires as he jokes with Piper and Jason. 

Eventually, the group migrates to the final campfire of the summer. That's when Will sneaks a spot away from his cabin and next to Nico. Not that Nico was keeping track of Will all night, of course not. Will not so slyly intertwines his fingers with Nico's and leans into him more. 

“Thanks for everything today, Neeks,” he whispers. 

“Anytime,” Nico smiles while he signs a response back.

They sit like that for a while, listening to Will's cabin lead the most lively campfire of the summer. Will's fidgeting with his array of beads on his necklace while Nico rubs circles on his hand with his thumb. It feels so perfect, the feeling of the warm campfire and the smell of roasting marshmallows wafting through the air. All around him, the rest of the Seven are joking around and he sees the Stolls taking turns throwing marshmallows at Chiron.

“Nico, I have a confession,” Will ominously says. 

“Hmm?” Nico raises an eyebrow. 

“I…” he really extends out the pause, “I dunno like probably over half of the camp songs. I've been here too long to ask at this point. It started because I was too Deaf to make it out and now I'm just too far in.”

Nico bursts out laughing, “I'm sorry what?”

“And nobody in my cabin signed well enough to interpret and Luke was always busy, it's not my fault I swear!” Will lightheartedly defends himself. 

“Solace, you made it sound like you were about to bare your soul to me,” Nico keeps laughing. 

“That was vulnerable! I don't know what you're talking about!” refutes Will. 

It feels like time slips away, in a good way. Nico could live in that feeling forever. The cool summer night's air, illuminated with fireflies and the campfire. Almost all his friends are around him and Will is right next to him. It's gorgeous. As the night draws to an end, Nico doesn't want it to end. The two boys stand right outside of the Hades cabin on the front porch.

“So uh… how’re you feeling?” asks Nico. 

Will looks confused, “What?”

“How are you feeling?” Nico tries to speak more clearly, then starts nervously rambling, “Because like… if you're still not feeling great you can stay at mine? Since you sleep better here. No other reason. I don't mind you staying here. It's nice having company.”

“Oh!” Will realizes, “I… I think I need to get back to my siblings. Not that I don't want to stay, I mean. I love my siblings, it's just all the English is hard when they're all too panicked to remember I'm Deaf. But I can't keep shirking my duties to Kayla. It's not fair to her.”

“Oh,” Nico tries to hide his disappointment.

Will continues trying to clarify, “It's not you, I swear. I just… I feel bad that I've been such a mess lately and it's all been falling on Kayla and Austin so much and I just need to get my shit together and—”

“You never answered,” Nico cuts him off, “How are you feeling?”

Will awkwardly scratches his neck, “Gods, is it that obvious that I'm still super anxious and overstimulated?”

“...A little bit,” Nico replies, pinching his fingers together to really emphasize, “You're allowed to need an actual break. Like… you still worked all day today. You've been working non-stop since your school started.”

“If I take a break, then I’ll just bother you all day,” refutes Will. 

“You don't bother me,” Nico instinctually says. 

Will looks confused, “What?”

“You don't bother me,” Nico repeats more clearly. 

“No, I heard you. I just… all day I kept you from doing things because I couldn't get my shit together,” Will tries to explain, “That's objectively bothersome.”

Nico shrugs, “There’s at least a few things out there more annoying than you. Like literally any quest.”

“That's a low bar, I don't wanna impose.”

“You're really gonna make me expose myself like this?” Nico sighs, clocking Will's confused face before continuing, “You don't bother me. Ever. I don't care if you wanna spend a whole day inside with me and only use ASL. Or if you're anxious and super particular about everything. Solace, I like it when you're here. With me. Actively and actually like it. There aren't any conditions. I like when I'm with you.”

“Oh,” Will is left speechless.

They stand there for a few beats in silence just staring at each other. The only sounds are the crickets and cicadas in the trees. Nico feels the summer air pressing on him, or maybe it's the nerves from basically showcasing his soul to Will and doing everything except straight up saying he has a massive crush on him. 

“I like when I'm with you too,” Will finally breaks the silence, “Look, I can't morally abandon Austin and Kayla for one of the most stressful days of summer session. But we have a few days before classes start, we can hang out then?”

“I'd like that,” Nico smiles. 

“Me too,” Will returns a smile. 

At that, Will takes his leave and Nico goes to bed. The next morning, Nico wakes up to the sounds of demigod chaos— AKA, a rapidly approaching deadline. Luckily, things seem to go over relatively smoothly and there's no harpy meals involved. A part of him wonders if that actually happens if campers miss the deadline, like that has to be a ton of paperwork if it is real. 

Come to find out, the Apollo cabin really doesn't have many year round campers and shrinks to a fraction of its summer size during the school year. And almost all of them are older, meaning they're pretty self-sufficient and Will’s workload lessens a ton. He basically just has to make sure everybody gets to meals and school, which isn’t too much of a problem ever. 

The two end up spending most of the next few days in Nico's cabin relaxing. Periodically, their friends drop by for a few hours at a time. Nico never thought about it much, but he really likes how open his friends are to doing a whole lot of nothing. There’s no pressure to have to uphold appearances, he can just be. 

Maybe it's because they've all been subjected to the unpredictable will of prophecies, but it's nice to feel like he doesn't need to be all people-y to be around them. Another plus about all the time is that Nico's been able to learn a ton more ASL, which he knows his lessons will probably take a hiatus once Camp’s classes start up too. Nonetheless, he really likes learning Will’s language, it makes him feel like he can better connect to him. 

Before he knows it, the demigods have officially started their school year. Nico managed to get out of most of the classes on account of having a weird schooling history and living enough in the Greek world to skip intro classes. Percy also doesn't have school for similar reasons, but mostly because he's been adamant that he can't handle it. Which nobody's arguing, even with Apollo’s new meds it’s still pretty obvious he generally doesn’t feel great. So overall, it was settled that Nico will do self-paced classwork while he teaches a few classes.

The first class that Nico teaches is Sword Fighting with Connor. It goes pretty well, they have two different sessions: beginners and intermediate/advanced fighters. For the most part, it's either Nico correcting positioning or trying to demonstrate the seated fighting technique. Nobody seems too weird about him, at least not outwardly. 

Next is his Underworld class, which would've been harder but he allotted the whole first day for annoying questions. He did it mostly so that annoying questions like “So can you turn dead?” don't come up every ten seconds, but it also helps him get an idea of what they know already. Or more accurately, what they're completely clueless about. 

Will already has a whole plan for the Non-Matter Manipulation class since he's been helping with it for a few years now. The only real change is that he added shadow stuff for Nico to talk about, even though nobody else has those powers. He likes being included, though. It makes him feel useful.

In all honesty? He's not completely sure if he's really even cut out for this. Will seems to have a perfect grasp on everything and Nico just… feels there. It's like Will always knows exactly what to say and that Nico is just completely fumbling it. When the class period ends, Nico lets out a sigh of relief and lays down on the floor.

“Whoa, are you feeling okay?” Will panickedly asks, kneeling down next to Nico.

“Yeah, don't worry,” Nico replies. 

“Ah, so it's floor time then?” Will smiles, laying down next to him. 

Nico nods in response, not really completely sure what Will means but just really, really inexplicably tired. He just feels like he's lost, like everything is moving too fast. Not that he's overstimulated or anxious or about to pass out. He just feels… off. That's when he feels a warm hand on his and turns to see Will carefully intertwining their fingers. 

“You did a really good job today, Neeks,” Will warmly says. 

Nico shrugs, “I dunno. I've got pretty stiff competition.”

“I've been teaching for like six years. Trust me, those first ASL classes were real rough,” Will laughs. 

“I just… I don't feel right? I don't know how to explain it,” Nico tries to put words to his thoughts. 

Will turns to face Nico and runs his fingers through Nico’s hair, “Well like… you've been busy. School is hard to adjust to after taking a break. There's a reason why Percy had such a hard time deciding if he would actually take a break or not. And teaching’s even harder.” 

“I guess, it's been awhile since I've really been in school. Westover didn’t really count. I think the last time I was actually in school I was still in Italy?” Nico reluctantly concedes. Damn you and your logic, Solace .

“Wait what?” Will stops in his tracks, “Did I hear you right?”

“I wasn't at Westover, the school Percy found me at, very long and the last time I was in school was in Italy,” Nico summarizes, trying to make sure Will can read his lips and to speak more clearly. 

“So it's been multiple decades and an entire ocean of distance since you've been in school… and you're being hard on yourself?” Will’s expression changes, Nico can't quite tell what it is though. 

“I mean, yeah. Like I have literally no clue what I'm doing, I feel like my lessons are basically just me rambling, I'm totally freeloading off of you and Connor. Just like… maybe it's better if I tell Chiron I changed my mind,” replies Nico. 

“The last time you were in school, there weren't any seatbelts?” Will continues asking. 

Now Nico's really confused, “What? I mean like… in some fancy cars I guess? You don't need them unless it’s like really bumpy or whatever.”

“You don't need them?!” Will exclaims in shock, “Nico, you need those. Always.”

“Oh, for real? When did that change?”

“Literally in the 60s! Have you really not ridden in a car since then??”

Nico shrugs, much to Will's exacerbation. 

“I'm getting distracted, point is that education has changed a lot. I'd call it a fucking like… divine miracle if you were perfect at this considering the last time you were in school calculators meant people and not machines. Cut yourself some slack, it's gonna take some getting used to,” Will refocuses, “Do you want me to help you with your Underworld curriculum? I'm good at making things more fun.”

“...I think I'd like that, yeah,” Nico concedes, “We can head back to my cabin?”

“That sounds lovely,” Will stands up, offering his hand.  

Nico pulls himself up, his vision spotting out a little when he first stands. Will quickly reaches out his other hand to hold him steady. When his vision comes back he holds onto Will for a couple more beats, lost in the warmth of the son of Apollo. He only snaps out of it when Will lets go of him to hand him his crutches. 

“Oh shit, uhhh, yeah I'm ready now,” Nick stumbles over his words. 

“Alright Mr. AARP Membership,” Will smirks. 

“What?” Nico raises an eyebrow.

Will waves him off, “It was funny, just trust me. I'm just hilarious like that.”

“Alright Solace, whatever you say,” Nico smirks back, “Is your calling actually comedy?”

Will picks up his bag and puts one hand on Nico's back as they start to walk together, he smiles, “I'm here all week, Sunshine.”

Chapter Text

Things quickly start feeling pretty normal at Camp. Nico falls into a nice routine of teaching his classes, doing some school packets, and hanging out with his friends. It's nice to have some semblance of normal for the first time in years. 

Another nice thing about the school year is that Mr. D and Chiron really seem to not care about seating arrangements at meals. They would allow the occasional exception during the summer, but now it seems like it doesn't matter at all. Which Nico doesn't mind, it means that Will can sit with him. 

It's at breakfast in early November when the group starts talking about autumn break plans, which Nico didn't even know existed. Usually, the table has been consisting of the usual Big Three Boys, Leo, Will, and Annabeth. 

“You guys have plans for break?” asks Percy. 

“Yeah, me and Leo are going to visit Piper in Oklahoma,” Jason replies.

Leo smiles and nods along, “Take back the dinner type thing her family does.”

“Oh, I didn't realize you were still gonna do that since you guys broke up sorta recently. Sorry,” Percy awkwardly admits.

“It's all good. We both just kinda realized we're better as friends, which we all still are. Plus it would be horrible if me being a disaster meant that Leo lost his best friend,” Jason explains, “Especially since it was kinda in the air if he could even handle travel.”

“You're not a disaster, and don't ever doubt my ability to pull my shit together for the opportunity to see Piper. They call me Leo ‘Peak Health’ Valdez, yanno?” Leo jokes. 

“Oh yeah? Where was Leo ‘Peak Health’ Valdez when you told me you were too disabled to pick out which clothes to pack?” Jason quips back. 

“I was tired! You can't fault me for that. Plus I ended up helping once my shit chilled out, I wouldn't leave you flailing in all those choices,” Leo defends himself. 

“I know, Piper always had to help me pick out clothes back before we split,” admits Jason.

Nico hasn't heard Jason talk almost at all about his breakup with Piper since it happened like two months ago when school started up and she left to live with her dad. As in he was literally only told that they broke up and it was kinda mutual but for a bunch of different reasons. He didn't ask anything more about it though, figuring it was sensitive. 

On the same topic of things Nico has only vaguely heard about, he's also really only heard bits and pieces about Leo's health that Jason was talking about. Sure, he's spent some time with Leo while he's been in the infirmary, but he seldom went into detail about anything. He knows that his EDS makes him get sick to his stomach and his joints dislocate a lot, but that's about it. Nico didn't know it was so bad that it was unknown if Leo could handle traveling. 

“Well on that note…” Will awkwardly clears his throat, “No plans here. My mom's on tour right now and I don't really like holidays with my extended family ‘cause they don't sign.”

“Break? What?” Nico asks, unable to get any context clues and still confused about whatever's happening. 

“We get a week off around Thanksgiving, most mortal schools get like 3 days but we get more time since most of us have to travel to get home,” explains Will. 

“I'll take that as no plans then,” Percy laughs, “You guys wanna come to the city with me and Annabeth? We’re prolly just staying till Saturday or Sunday since my mom and Paul have work on Monday. Well, I might stay longer. We'll see.”

Nico looks at Will, who seems like he's ready to agree to it. He didn't know that Will was that close to Percy that he'd just agree without too much further thought, but then again Will's friends with like… everyone. 

“Sure,” Nico says at the same time as Will. 

“Sweet! My mom's coming Tuesday night after her class ends. Do you need an accessible van? She can borrow our friend’s minivan. How long do you think you'll stay?” Percy eagerly replies. 

“Maybe leave Saturday? Connor's planning a city supply run that day and we catch a ride back with him,” Will turns to Nico for confirmation, which he agrees to. 

“Your chair's designed to fit in a standard trunk, but the minivan might be nice since y'all will have bags,” Leo chimes in.

“Sweet, I'll let my mom know. You'll get to meet my mortal friends! Don't worry, they know about my demigod stuff, they're really nice. I think you'll get along with them,” Percy beams. 

Just as planned, Sally Jackson arrives at the Camp border around 8pm on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Will helped Nico pack everything— meds, clothes, a nice outfit for Thanksgiving dinner, his mobility aids, and anything else. Gone are the days of Nico traveling light. 

Luckily, Percy packs basically just as un-light. Apparently, Apollo dropped off a load of supplies for him to keep at home… and has no concept of an appropriate amount for one person. On the other hand, Will and Annabeth only pack a duffel bag of stuff. So it evens out more or less. After a bit of tetris-ing, as Will calls it, they're on their way to Percy’s home. 

The ride is mostly quiet, with the radio playing as Sally and Percy’s stepdad talk. Annabeth talks a bit with Paul about some of the recent books she's read, but it's a little too hard for Will to hear from the back seat where he's sitting with Nico and Percy fell asleep basically as soon as he got in the car. They pull into the parking garage just before midnight. Will and Nico get settled on the pullout couch in the living room, while Percy and Annabeth head to his room for the night. 

Nico wakes up the next day to the sound of Sally and Paul in the kitchen quietly cooking and chatting. The smell of coffee and pancakes fill the apartment. Of course, Will’s already awake and reading a book. He almost always wakes up with the sunrise. Annabeth is also sitting in the living room on a chair, reading a book in Ancient Greek.

“Breakfast's just about ready!” Paul announces, then turns to Sally, “Darling, wanna wake up Percy?”

“I can! I want to,” Annabeth eagerly volunteers, getting up and heading towards his room. Everybody can tell when Percy actually wakes up.

“He sounds so much worse,” Paul quietly observes, pursing his lips. 

“His father did warn us that he was sicker than before,” Sally replies uncertainly, “I guess I just didn’t expect it to be this bad.”

“Good thing we got that appointment with his doctor later today,” Paul comments, Sally nodding in agreement. 

Nico feels weird about being there, like he shouldn't be hearing such intimate details. Like he's intruding on something. At the same time, he can't help but listen in on it, almost captivated by how caring they are about Percy. He's interrupted when Will appears in front of him and offers a hand to get up and to the table, which he happily accepts. Soon enough, Annabeth and Percy also get settled at the table. 

“We were planning to just stay in and rest today, Percy’s not feeling great and we have a busy couple days ahead of us. You two can stay or go out if you want,” explains Annabeth. 

“I'm cool to stay in, resting sounds nice,” Nico decides. 

“Yeah, and I can help with any cooking or baking for tomorrow! I always help my mom back in Texas,” Will offers. 

The four continue eating breakfast alongside the married couple. Well… more or less. As the meal continues, it becomes more obvious what Annabeth meant by Percy wasn't feeling great— he just can't catch his breath for the life of him. He ends up giving up on eating and moves to sit on a recliner in the living room. Eventually, Paul gets up and restores the pullout couch back to couch mode, helps Percy get resettled there, and sets a few things in front of his step son. 

“Check your peak flow and oxygen. You sound miserable, bud,” he gently says. 

Percy doesn't argue and reads out the results, “261 and 90.”

Nico doesn't know what the numbers mean, but by the way that Will’s face looks he knows it's not good. In fact, he looks so concerned that it seems like he’s internally debating going over and doing some healer stuff. Paul and Sally also look pretty worried for that matter.

Percy shrugs it off, “It's just ‘cause it’s morning and it’s getting cold out. It usually gets better after treatments.”

 “You feeling up for your appointment with Dr. Vela, Perce? I know Apollo gave you some meds, but it'll be nice to loop her back in,” Sally suggests.

Percy reluctantly agrees, turning to Annabeth, “You don't have to come if you don't wanna, she'll prolly make me do PFTs, they're a lot to watch.”

“Oh wait! I have a copy of Percy's infirmary records, all nice and mortal friendly,” Will remembers, grabbing the file from his backpack and handing it to Sally, “Last PFTs were a week ago, should help the cause of avoiding doing them again.”

Percy nods, “I’m gonna do treatments then, I feel like shit.”

At that, he repositions himself and starts setting up the machines placed next to him. The rest of the demigods join him. It’s a pretty laid back day with things passing pretty normally, everybody splitting time between lounging around watching TV and preparing food for the next day. Percy, Annabeth, and Sally go to his appointment, coming back a couple hours later and returning to the couch where Percy promptly falls asleep.

On the other hand, Nico is absolutely loving being able to spend time with Will. They watch some animated spin-off series of Star Wars, which Will talks through most of with little facts and commentary. Nico doesn't mind though, he likes listening to him talk. Before he knows it, it's nearly 3AM and he all but wipes the fuck out. 

The next morning, Nico wakes up to the sound of somebody knocking on the door. To his surprise, Will is still fast asleep while the adults are quietly cooking in the kitchen. It smells like cinnamon apples, almost like the cake his mom used to make. 

Sally gets up to answer the door, “Hey Sione! The kids are still all sleeping, what's up?” 

“I figured I'd come by and help cook,” the man, apparently named Sione, replies.

“Don't be ridiculous, you're already hosting! The least we can do is cook a little,” Paul tries to argue. 

“Nonsense, you're juggling 4 teens!” he refutes, joining the couple in the kitchen, “Who's all here again?”

“Percy’s demigod friends and his girlfriend: Annabeth, Will, and Nico. I think Will and Nico are an item, they're absolutely adorable together. They're all such sweet kids,” Sally warmly replies, then lowers her voice, “He hasn’t been doing too great lately, just a heads up for today. He’s just… his body’s so exhausted.”

That's when enough of the sun shines through the closed blinds that it wakes up Will. He stirs in the bed and messily signs something at the window that looks like something along the lines of shut up. Begrudgingly, he sits up and stretches, accidentally hitting Nico's back. 

“Hey Neeks,” Will whispers into Nico's ear. 

Nico turns and notices Will isn't reaching for his CIs yet, so he switches to ASL, “Good morning.”

“Who's the guy in the kitchen?” asks Will, switching to ASL to avoid coming off as rude. 

“I think we're going to his place to eat later,” Nico replies, trying to recall if there's any solid information he can give besides that, “How'd you know I was awake?”

“Your heart rate, I accidentally got a read when I brushed up against you,” Will explains, “I'm starving, let's eat.”

At that moment, Paul notices that they're awake and waves, “Hungry? It's a cereal kind of morning, pick out whatever you want!”