Chapter Text
He walked into the infirmary, as he always did, bright and early. Usually it was quiet outside, but since it was towards the beginning of summer, everyone was up and running around camp already. It took Nico a while to notice the two Apollo siblings quietly talking in one corner of the infirmary.
”Hey, you guys conspiring against me or something?” Nico joked, walking up to the duo.
”Babe, you’re practically one of the Apollo kids. That’s like exiling my…” Will paused as Kayla giggled to herself, clearly amused at their brother’s stupidity. “Okay, this metaphor is getting really weird, so I’m gonna shut up now.” He finished.
”So… what were you guys talking about, anyways?” Nico finally asked after an awkward moment of Kayla still gaining her composure.
”Well,” Kayla started “there’s this new camper, which is normal, but she’s like-“
”What did we say about assuming genders?” Will interrupted.
”Okay, they have been very quiet.” Kayla corrected. “It’s like… they’ve come in here every day, just sitting on the far wall,” they pointed to the wall farthest from the door, with the window facing towards the lake. It truly was honestly one of the best views you could get of it without actually being on a roof of one of the cabins. “Anyways, they’ve just come in here with a book, and this little dragon plush that’s green, I think.”
”It was green, it had a little smile on its chest.” Will pointed out. “It was also a dragon. I noticed that their books were also about dragons, but I think they were more blue… at least the one they brought a few days ago.” Will shrugged. That’s what Nico loved about Will, the way Will could be so confident even when he thought he was completely wrong in what he was saying
”Well, what about today?” Nico asked as if there was a schedule they all had. “Are they here yet? Rather, have they been here since Monday?”
”Huh, now that I think of it, they haven’t said anything to us, at all really.” Will thought, tipping his head to the side slightly, the way he did when he was deep in thought. “They were wearing headphones, too. Wonder if it’s hearing problems.” Will made a point to look directly at Nico’s hearing aids.
”Okay, to be fair, my hearing problems are not my fault. It’s our damn parents.” Nico made it his point to look at the roof, even though that meant he might get chased by a flock of birds when he went out to meet Piper.
”Anyways, have you guys seen them at dinner or campfire possibly? You wouldn’t think they…” Will didn’t have to continue. They all knew exactly what he meant.
”Well, I’ve seen them at dinner” Nico said softly, “Most nights this year, at least. They’re new, unclaimed too. Kind of weird, but some half bloods stay unclaimed… maybe they’re just a Hermes kid.” Sure, Nico knows the tradition, him and his sister went through it, of course, He’d seen it happen to Roman and Greeks alike- while different, it had the same meaning.
”Actually, they came in a few days ago. I had been struggling a bit with the gauze cabinet, but they came over and helped me. Didn’t say anything, but seemed to sort them out super easily.” Kayla recounted, zoning out a little. “It’s actually still like that, sorted smallest to largest, almost like that kid plays Tetris for a living.” Nico didn’t say anything about how that almost sounded like him as a child, sorting his Mythomagic cards by type, power, ability, okay, a lot of categories. He never really told anyone about his…
”Wait, didn’t you say you had a meeting with Piper?” Will asked, snapping Nico out of his thoughts. He looked out the window abruptly, seeing Piper and Annabeth arguing per usual.
”Oh, yeah.” Nico laughed to himself. “I better get going then.”
Nico waved to the siblings, then walked out to meet Piper for a talk, he really didn’t want to have.
***
Icarus sat quietly in the infirmary, like she always did. People looked at him weird, called them “him”, “her”, but never they, which Icarus never minded. It was weird in her mind, the fact that she could switch between those titles so swiftly, but nobody ever really cared about them. Rather, they never talked. Nobody ever even talked to her. Sometimes they wished he would. Other times, she wouldn’t have it any other way.
”I get where you’re coming from, but really, just don’t anger him.” the tall, blond healer said. Icarus had seen him hundreds of times in the mere weeks she had been at camp.
”Okay, sure, but get your boyfriend some anger management!” Icarus shrunk, squinting their eyes closed, even if those words weren’t meant for them. People yelled at Icarus all the damn time, but that didn’t mean they were any more used to it. They hated it really, the way it rapped around her head, enveloping her brain, even with her hands covering her ears. Nobody but the short, black haired scarred-up kid noticed. He tapped the blonde haired kid on the shoulder gesturing to them vaguely. The blonde hair boy nodded, then grabbed the wrapping bandages and went back to looking used to helping this green-eyed kid.
The black haired boy crouched in front of Icarus, still maintaining a fair distance between.
(this conversation is mostly in ASL, but does have some spoken parts)
”Hi.” He signed.
Icarus must have looked a lot more shocked then they meant to, but she set down her book all the same.
”Hi.” She had Dreamy sign. Sure, he was a dragon plush that didn’t have pose able thumbs- or fingers in general- but she could make him do basic signs.
”I’m N-I-C-O-L-L-O.” He signed. “But everyone calls me N-I-C-O”
Icarus quietly tried whispering that name to themself, but it must have come out louder than they thought. Nico looked surprised to hear their voice, but happy, too, almost.
”I-C-A-R-U-S” Icarus signed. “I have a brother, too. T-H-E-S-E-U-S.”
”Here?” Nico asked verbally, whispering despite the infirmary being practically empty.
Icarus shook their head. “1-1. Too young”
“How old are you?” Nico signed.
”1-3. You?”
”1-4. Been here for a while.”
Icarus hesitated before asking Nico their next question.
”Are you…” Icarus said it this time, whispering, letting their glance slide to the tall blonde healer, who was now dealing with a curly brown haired boy who had ash nearly covering his face.
Nico made a sign- not ASL- by snapping his wrist down, a questioning look on his face. Icarus nodded.
”Yes, you?”
Icarus paused, not knowing if they wanted to share.
”You don’t have to. This stays between us.” Nico signed. He had a gentle look on his face, which made Icarus feel more safe then they ever had with… well… anyone, well anyone older than them.
Icarus silently took off their headphones, resting them on their resting Wings of Fire; The Hidden Kingdom cover. That seemed to surprise Nico, yet again, but to them, it felt like taking a life saving device away.
”Pan.” Icarus hesitated before finally responded. “Pangender, I mean.”
”Oh.” Nico said, but it wasn’t a condescending response, which made Icarus want to cry, not knowing if it was accepting or rejecting. “Sorry, but what does that mean?”
Icarus stifled a laugh as they explained. “It means I identify with multiple gender identities, all at the same time.”
They wanted to shrink into themselves as Nico paused, seeming to take that information in.
”So… like pansexual, but with genders?” Nico finally asked.
”Yeah, kind of. I’m aro/ace, though.” Icarus finally responded.
”Well, I’ve got a secret for you.” He leaned in making sure his mouth was close to Icarus’ ear. They wanted to scramble away, but she just… flinched slightly. Nico backed away, surprised slightly.
”You’re good, kid.” He quickly reassured Icarus. They just grabbed Dreamy, rocking slightly.
Nico hesitated before signing “A-S-D?”
Icarus nodded, signing back, “Level 2” They still wanted to shrink into themself, feeling ashamed of a disability they couldn’t control.
”Level 1,” Nico signed back. “It doesn’t show but… it sucks. It’s like no one knows how your brain works. Everyone just says ‘it’s wired differently’ but that’s never true, is it?” Nico asked, gesturing animatedly.
Icarus was shocked, but responded, “Yeah, it does. I hate yelling. It feels like the voices are wrapping around my mind, every word targeted right at me, creeping into my thoughts and memories. That’s why I have these.” Icarus held up her headphones, noticing how she was still rocking slightly. “That’s also why I stay in here.” They finally admitted.
”It’s way quieter in here than out in the wild, ey kid?” Nico joked, standing up. Icarus giggled, standing up quietly next to him.
”But you know what? I’ll give you a tour ‘round camp.” Nico said, looking out at the window of the wall behind them. Icarus noticed there were a few more kids out there than before. About five of them, all looking around 16.
”They’re good people.” Nico laughed, catching Icarus by surprise. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” He said, running his hand through his shaggy black hair.
As they left, Icarus noticed there were blonde kid eyeing Nico slightly suspiciously. Then he nodded, looking at Icarus, as if telling him to trust Nico. Sure, they had just met him. Sure, this was a loud ass place where they felt scared and small and powerless, every whisper a pointed and rude comment towards them.
But finally, they trusted someone who wasn’t their little brother. Theseus had been the only person Icarus had trusted, except… her. They shook themself, hugging their book closer to their chest. It seemed Dreamy hugged closer to them, as well, as if he was sentient.
So, Icarus followed Nico, unprepared for what was to come. They didn’t know what to expect next, who these strangers were, but… ready, nonetheless.