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“Okay,” Will said. “That should kick in a couple of minutes.”
“Oh please,” Nico laughed. “I already feel fantastic!”
Will tilted his head.
He glanced down at the vial, then at the Son of Hades, and double checked the dosage again.
“Nico,” Will said carefully. “Are you sure you’re feeling alright?”
If it had been Leo Valdez with that goofy lopsided grin despite a clearly still broken leg, Will might not have been all that concerned. But seeing as it was Nico di Angelo smiling like that, Will was beyond concerned. In fact, he was the most concerned that he had ever been in his entire life because his boyfriend was grinning like a mad man.
“Yeah!” Nico said brightly. “I feel great!”
The dosage of pain killer was consistent with Nico’s weight and medical history, and in truth it had been a pain in the ass to get Nico to accept the pain management in the first place. Given Nico’s chronic pain at the best of times, not to mention everything he has already been through causing his difficulty in trusting other people, the very fact that Nico had said yes to the medication just went to show how bad the fracture was.
“Nico,” Will said again.
“Nico Nico Nico.” Nico parroted. “I love the way you say it! Like, you’ve got the most gorgeous Southern drawl I’ve ever heard in my life!”
“Ah,” Will blinked. “Thank you? Hey Kayla… I may have fucked up?”
Kayla came over, still flicking through some patient files.
“Does this mean I get to laugh at you?” Kayla asked.
“Hi!” Nico grinned. “My tongue feels like bees! Is that normal?”
Kayla blinked. She set the patient files down on the bedside table, turned directly towards Will and laughed straight in his face.
“Yeah yeah,” Will muttered. “Just help me would you?”
“Nico Nico Nico,” Nico said, trying his best impression of Will’s accent.
“Wait,” Will said. “Nico, did you say that your tongue feels like bees?”
“Nico Nico N-“
Will reached out and grabbed Nico’s hand, squeezing it tightly.
“I know things are weird right now,” Will said. “But I really need you to try to focus.”
“I can focus on your freckles all day, Amore.”
“Did he just call you-“
“Kayla. Allergic reaction. Not funny. Very dangerous. Very distressing.”
“Very funny.” Kayla countered.
By some miracle, she went to get reversal medications that will hopefully slow or stop Nico’s bad reaction to the pain meds that Will had given him. Will was still very aware that Nico’s leg had yet to be fully treated, only in a quick binding that had been done during Capture The Flag when it had been accidentally shattered, but right now the priority was definitely making sure that Nico’s amusing reaction didn’t change into a life or death situation.
Knowing Nico and his flare for dramatics, that terrible possibility could very well happen at any moment.
Nico was staring at Will, his manic grin finally dropping.
“You’re beautiful.” Nico murmured.
“And you’re having a reaction so how about we-“
The hand that had been holding Nico’s was suddenly empty because Nico was instead now holding either side of Will’s face and kissing him.
Will pulled back quickly.
Nico’s lip wobbled.
“No no,” Will said. “It’s not that I don’t, or well, I just… Fuck, Nico don’t cry.”
For all of Nico’s elation and love of the world just a few moments ago, there were now tears streaming down his face.
“Hey hey,” Will said. “It’s okay.”
“You don’t like me.” Nico sobbed.
“No, of course I like you,” Will said. “It’s just that you’re not exactly in your right mind at the moment and I don’t want to take advantage of that.”
“You don’t like me…”
“Nico, Gods, of course I like you! In fact, I love you, so much, I love you with all my heart I promise. Things are just a little weird right now.”
Nico sniffled but at least the worst of the upset seemed to have passed for now.
Kayla had at last returned with the new medication and Will nodded his thanks, his attention never quite leaving Nico. Nico’s whole body had started to shudder with barely restrained misery, though Will knew that it might be a side effect of the drugs too.
“Everything okay, Prince of Darkness?”
Nico mutely shook his head.
Will reached out, feeling Nico’s forehead. There was no sign of fever, but there was no denying that he wasn’t feeling well at the moment.
As Will started preparing the medication, Nico kept glancing at Will then at his hands then to Will again.
“Yes?” Then, remembering that Nico loved his accent apparently he said. “Nico?”
“Would you still love me if I was a worm?”
“You’ve been spending too much time with Leo.” Will chuckled.
“Does that mean no?”
“Nico.” Will said. “I would still love you if you were a worm.”
“Am I a worm yet? I feel like a worm… No, I feel like a bee. Yes. I’m a bee. Buzz buzz.”
“You’re not a bee.” Will said. “You’re an adorable mess.”
“I’m adorable.” Nico said, bright grin back on his face.
Before Will even realised what was happening, Nico was swinging both legs over the side of the bed and standing. At least, Nico had tried to stand, but his broken leg immediately buckled and the only thing that kept Nico from outright collapsing was Will’s instincts.
He’d cried out, and the sound was like a lance straight to Will’s chest because Nico never cries out, not like that.
Kayla was already by the bedside again, helping Will get Nico back onto the bed as Nico shook in pain, dark eyes squeezed shut.
“Did you give him the reverser?” She asked.
“Not yet,” Will said tightly.
“Then why is his pain- Whoah, Nico, you need to stay still.”
But now that Nico had decided that he wanted to stand, he was determined to do just that. He shoved them away, and while Will was briefly hoping that he had come back into himself and had simply returned to his normal mind state there was something glassy and unfocused in his eyes.
Nico tried to get off of the other side of the bed instead, but Will managed to keep him in place. His struggles at last ceased but before Will could be convinced that it wasn’t some trick in an attempt to make them put their guards down, Nico was gagging.
Will rushed to get a sick bucket, barely managing to hold it in front of Nico before he was vomiting.
There were already new tears running down Nico’s face and it broke Will’s heart to see him so miserable. He soothed Nico through the nausea, waiting until he was fully done before Will pulled away.
Without a word or complaint, Kayla took the bucket and handed Will a fresh one just in case Nico needed it.
For now at least Nico seemed to be okay, though he curled up onto his side best he could considering the binding on his leg.
Will smoothed the hair from Nico’s face, gently cupping his cheek.
“I’m sorry you don’t feel so well,” Will said.
“I feel fantastic…” Nico muttered.
“Well, do you think you’re up to taking one more shot?”
Nico shuddered at the thought.
“It will help,” Will promised.
That is of course if Nico wasn’t also allergic to the reverser, Will thought. Which, again, this was Nico, so Will wouldn’t be all that surprised.
“Solace?”
“di Angelo?”
“Am I dying?”
“No.” Will said. “You’re just having a bad reaction.”
“Oh.” Nico said.
Nico curled into himself more, jolting in pain when he pulled at his leg.
“This is my fault?”
“Of course not.” Will said quickly.
But Nico didn’t seem convinced, closing his eyes as if he didn’t want to look Will in the eye.
Will looked towards the needle and the medication, knowing full well that he needed to administer is now before Nico’s symptoms get worse. But Will’s patients needed more than just to be physically tended to, and right now Nico needed that extra care.
Setting the reverser fully to the side, Will carefully sat on the edge of Nico’s bed. He took his boyfriends hands into his own, finding them cold, but Nico still refused to look at him.
“Nico.” Will said. “This isn’t your fault.”
“I’m wasting your time.”
“No, you’re not.”
“The pink elephant behind you doesn’t think so.” Nico said.
It took everything in Will’s being to not turn around, knowing full well that Nico’s mind was just playing tricks on him.
“Neeks. This isn’t your fault. Sometimes meds don’t work quite the way they should. If anything, this is my fault for having given it to you in the first place.”
Nico didn’t say anything.
After a moment, Nico was finally squeezing Will’s hands back. Dark eyes cracked open, a single tear rolling down his cheek.
“Things will be better soon,” Will promised him.
“Things are better with you…” Nico whispered.
“Even needles?”
Nico’s glare was withering and it made Will laugh. He picked up the reverser, waiting until it was Nico who held out his arm. It wasn’t without hesitation, but Will gave him all the time he needed because it was important that Nico be the one who had a choice in the things that happened to him.
While Nico didn’t actually flinch at the injection, Will knew that he was uncomfortable all the same. Will leant down, pecking Nico on the temple, amused at the red that flushed through Nico’s gaunt face.
“Great job, Prince of Darkness.” Will said. “Now, let’s get that leg of yours fixed up.”
Then, Will remembered Nico’s earlier reaction to Will’s way of saying things despite having spent so many years at Camp.
“Or should I say great job, Nico.” Will said, slathering on as much Southern drawl as he possibly could.
Nico’s face flushed ever redder.
“Can’t you just let me die?”
“No way,” Will said. “This is far too fun, Nico. Oh, and by the way, now I’m curious. Would you still love me if I were a worm?”
“No.” Nico said.
“Really?” Will quirked a brow. “You sure about that di Angelo?”
Nico’s glare was absolute but it dropped the moment Will pecked his temple again.
“Fine.” Nico muttered. “But you speak of this to no one. Yes, Solace. I would still love you if you were a-“
Nico’s voice drifted off, his eyes blowing wide.
Concern slammed Will straight in the chest, going through all the horrible reactions that Nico could be having to both the original pain medication and the reverser. He started running protocols in his head, started planning exactly how he would handle any possible situation, only to realise that it was a situation he wouldn’t be able to fix.
Kayla Knowles, the absolute bastard she was, had been recording the entire interaction.
Will surged towards his sister but she laughed and easily dodged out of the way.
“Don’t you have a broken leg to fix?” Kayla asked teasingly.
“Don’t you have an Ares kid to get a stake out of?” He countered, taking another shot at the phone.
Kayla smiled innocently, then jerked to the left as Will launched towards her.
He stumbled, crashing into a small table.
Will pinwheeled, time moving in slow motion. He waited to fall, Kayla’s eyes widening as she too realised what was about to happen but she was too far away to help. He was going to fall and he was going to hit the ground hard, or worse still he was going to hit the table.
He was going to land hard on his arm and break his wrist, or he was going to slam his head into the table and break his skull or he was going to break something because he was falling.
The world was moving so slowly and yet it was like Will couldn’t do anything to catch himself, his body not responding to him.
He was going to fall.
He was going to break into a million pieces.
He was going to-
Warm arms wrapped around him.
Will slammed down onto something soft, but the person below him barely even let off a grunt. Heart thundering against his chest, Will realised who it was that had caught him.
“Are you okay?” Nico asked tensely.
“Me?” Will growled. “Why the fuck did you just shadow travel? You already have a broken leg!”
Nico blinked slowly, not understanding.
Will picked himself up off the ground, going to assess Nico’s leg before the Son of Hades had a chance to get up too. Kayla was already there too, and Will could only guess that Austin had somehow heard the commotion on his break too.
“You guys okay?” She asked.
“Yeah,” Will said. He glared at Nico. “Though someone should know better than to do something so stupid.”
“I don’t know,” Nico shot back. “You’re the one who drugged me with something I’m allergic too.”
“How was I supposed to know th- Oh. You’re feeling better?”
Nico’s gaze wandered towards the broken leg that he had just put direct weight on.
“Yes.” He lied through his teeth.
Will heaved out a long sigh. This was going to be a long day, but at least Nico seemed to be settling back into his normal self, even if that normal self could be one of the most infuriating patients Will has ever had.
“Kayla,” Will said. “Would you be able to add a note in Nico’s file?”
“About never giving him the med again? Already done. I’ve also added his love for your great southern drawl.”