Chapter Text
It started with the Hermes Cabin, of course. One magical stink bomb gone way, way wrong, and suddenly the Apollo cabin needed to be extensively cleaned for the next seven days. The Apollo kids used the fact that their father was still M.I.A. to their advantage, and managed to convince Chiron that new carpeting and updated speakers really might inspire the Oracle to return.
“Nico,” said Jason, dramatically, “think of the children. The poor, defenseless children of Apollo need a place to stay for the week-“
“First of all, no child of Apollo has ever been defenseless. I distinctly remember lunch time, last Monday, when a certain sun child killed my appetite with some terrible limericks,” Jason opened his mouth, but Nico rushed on, “And second of all, my cabin is personal, and private, and not available. Plus, I’m pretty sure Hades wouldn’t want some nephew Apollo-ing up the place.”
Jason studied Nico’s face to make sure he was finished, and then launched into his counter arguments. “In response to number one, if your only week long roommate gives you poetry troubles, I’ll handle it personally. And in response to number two, yeah, your cabin is private, but it’s also the only cabin in camp that has an entire extra bed. Hazel is going to be in Camp Jupiter for the rest of the month! Do you really want to deny a fellow camper a real bed for only a week? Oh and did I mention, it’s just for a week. That’s 7 days. That’s 24 times 7 hours-”
“Alright!” Nico gritted his teeth, and reluctantly looked at Jason’s smug smile. Sharing his cabin would suck, but he knew Hazel would want him to. Heck, if she were here she’d probably offer to sleep in one of the stink bombed, grotesquely smelly Apollo beds and give up her own. Stupid Hermes cabin, ruining his life.
“I knew you’d help out, you big softie,” Jason’s smugness fell away to older brother-ly pride, which was somehow worse.
“Shut up,” Nico rolled his eyes. At least Jason wasn’t moving in. Nico would be smothered. Or sbrothered.
Jason squeezed Nico’s arm, “Thanks, Nico. I’ll go tell Chiron to send over your new roommate.”
Nico watched his walk away and felt his stomach churn. Maybe this would be survivable. There was already curtains up separating his cabin in half. Maybe he could just avoid whoever it was for the week. Yeah. That seemed like a perfect solution. Hopefully he’d get a shy, younger kid who would sit quietly in bed, and never talk. Nico took a deep breath. This didn’t have to be painful.
Later that night, the knocking on his door somehow sounded cheerful, which was how Nico knew his new Apollo roommate must have arrived. He stood up from bed in his black pajama pants and a grey Coca-Cola shirt, and padded over to the door. It was only 9 o’clock, but he decided to go to bed early tonight, so he could pretend to be asleep if his roommate was too much. Nico pulled open the cabin door, and there on his doorstep stood the tall, blond, and tanned boy whose limericks had ruined his lunch last week.
“Hey Nico!” Will grinned, “or should I say, hey roomie!”