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It was a hot summer evening. The sun was setting, and everywhere the sound of cicadas was heard. Nico just finished training new campers, so he was extremely exhausted and sweaty. All he wanted right now was just to rest in his bed and listen to music. He went toward his cabin, thanking the gods that he lives by himself, so he doesn't have to deal with annoying roommates. But it turned out he had to deal with his annoying boyfriend, who was now lying shirtless in his bed, doing crosswords.
“Oh, hi, sunshine.” He turned his head as soon as he heard the door open. “How was the practice?”
“Don’t talk to me,” muttered the son of Hades and threw his sword into the corner.
He climbed up the bed and laid his face between Will’s shoulder blades and sliding hands under his chest. His cold face touching Solace’s bare skin made him feel shivers.
“It’s literally the middle of the summer, and your cheeks are still cold.” He tried to look at him, but in that pose it was just impossible.
“You’re the one that decided to lie down half-naked in my cabin with impunity; deal with that.” mumbled into his back “And I already told you not to talk to me.”
“Awh, something happened?”
“Yes, you happened.” Nico didn’t move an inch. “I wanted to rest on my own.”
“So you want me to get out?”
“No.” Death Boy sighed his hug, “Just shut up and let me rest.”
“As you wish, your majesty.”
Will continued solving crosswords and started humming some melody. Nico, despite saying before that he doesn't want Will’s company, after a long day he was just craving physical affection. He breathed in the lemongrass smell of his boyfriend’s skin and closed his eyes, enjoying the moment. Evenings like that were always worth those hours of training.
It was becoming darker and darker, and Di Angelo felt that he was close to falling asleep. He turned his head to the side and started looking at the freckles on Will’s back. Looking at all those thousands of light brown spots somehow fascinated him, and he considered them beautiful. He pulled out one of his hands from under his boyfriend and began to trace his finger over his spine.
“What… are you doing?” Will asked, rambling. He felt his face blush.
“Nothing particular,” Nico answered listlessly, “just admiring.”
He slid his hand into the hair on his neck, playing with it. Will seemed a little bit embarrassed and hid his face in the nearest pillow, mumbling.
“What’s wrong?” Nico asked, still twiddling Solace's curls.
“Nothing… It just happened to be my sensitive spot,” Will confessed.
“Oh,” he gasped. “Nice to know then.”
He flipped up his boyfriend’s hair, showing off his skin. It turned out that Solace had freckles even there, which made Nico smirk, and he kissed him there.
“Darlinnn…!” Will groaned, totally embarrassed. “Enough of this.”
“Okay, okay,” he got off his back and lay next to him, “but correct me if I’m wrong, but your hair seems a little bit longer.”
“Yeah, I just didn't have time to get them cut.”
“But it suits you this way.” He tucked a strand of hair behind Will’s ear.
“You think so?” Asked while looking at Nico’s smiling face.
“Oh, I’m absolutely sure about that.”
Death Boy laid his head on the shoulder of his boyfriend and grabbed his hand, studying freckles on his arm.
“What?” The owner of the arm chuckled.
“I think I have an idea.” He reached for the pen that was lying on the crosswords.
“Hey, I need it!”
“You haven't needed it for the last five minutes,” interjected Nico and started drawing some lines on Solace’s arm.
“What are you doing this time?”
“Shhh, let me work.” He waved his hand at him. “Look, it’s Ursa Major.”
Will looked at his wrist, where his boyfriend connected his freckles to create the constellation. He had no time to answer because Di Angelo had already started another drawing.
“And that’s an Orion,” he smirked, looking into his eyes, “and there… oh, that one looks like an Andromeda!”
“Wow, I didn’t know you could recognize that many constellations,” he was impressed.
“I just used to be passionate about stars, and I still remember those.” Nico didn’t even look away from his new ‘canvas.’“’ And now I’m presenting you Virgo, which happens to be your zodiac sign.”
“And what will you do if you run out of space on my arm?” she asked, following Nico’s hand’s movements.
“You still have freckles on your back.” He shrugged.
“Nico, no.”
“Nico, yes.”
Will knew that trying to fight with his stubbornness was not leading anywhere, so he just patiently laid his head and watched Nico’s actions. He found his focused facial expression adorable, especially when he was quietly naming the objects, so he wouldn’t even dare to distract him. As he predicted, soon on his arm there was no more place to draw on, so new constellations started appearing on his back. Then he suddenly felt that the so-called artist was aiming for his neck.
“Nico! I told you not to touch me there.” He fumed.
“Okay, okay, sorry.” Nico raised his hands as a symbol of capitulation. “...not even one?”
“Nico…”
“Please, it’s a perfect spot for my favorite constellation.” He gazed into Will’s eyes so he just couldn’t disagree.
“Okay, fine,” he felt his hair being flipped up, “and what is it called?”
“I won’t tell you,” he brushed him off.
“Hey, but that’s not fair!” Will tried to turn around his head. “Why can’t I know what my boyfriend’s constellation is?”
“Firstly, stop moving or you’ll ruin it,” Nico nagged him, “and secondly, sometimes I want to keep my secrets just for myself.”
***
Will was sitting next to the fighting arena, observing his boyfriend teaching a twelve-year-old girl how to carry a sword. It was his duty today to take care of every camper’s injury during training, but he could tell that he was combining business with pleasure.
“Will, come here!” He heard Connor calling him, who was sitting next to the kid with a bleeding knee.
He took some bandages and disinfectant and went toward them. A few quick moves, and the wound was dressed. He patted the kid’s head.
“Good work, one day you’ll become an amazing soldier,” he said and smiled, seeing the boy's happy face.
“Thank you, I’ll give my best!” said and ran away to continue training.
Will stood up, looking in the sky. Why does it have to be so hot? Even for the North American summer, those temperatures in the past few weeks were extremely high. And since he decided to grow his hair, it made his neck sweat much more than before. He reached them and flipped it up to cool his skin, but then he felt that someone grabbed his wrist.
“William. Andrew. Solace.” Stormed Nico quietly, “I think there’s something we need to talk about in private.”
Will decided that for the good of all, he wouldn't say a word until Nico started the topic, so he just let him pull himself across the camp. Death Boy opened the door of his cabin with a kick and made Will sit on the floor next to his bed, on which he sat himself. He grabbed his boyfriend’s hair and put it up, looking at the skin under it.
“Oh gods,” he sighed, as he saw a tiny tattoo of six stars surrounding one freckle each and connected with the lines. “Care to explain what that is?”
After a few seconds, Will guessed what this was about.
“Your favorite constellation, exactly the same you drew there a couple of weeks ago,” he answered calmly and tilted his head back, laying it on Nico’s lap. “A Lyre. An attribute of Apollo. My godly parent. For me it doesn’t sound like a coincidence.”
The son of Hades didn’t say a word. He looked away, avoiding eye contact and trying not to blush.
“Okay, but… how did you…and when?” He was so embarrassed he started being out of words.
“What, you didn't think you were the only camper that knew constellations, did you?” Will chuckled, “After I came back to my cabin on that night, I instantly asked Kayla if she recognized it, and then I got my answer.”
“Yeah, but what’s more important is how did you get that?” sighed Nico, “We don’t have a tattoo salon in the camp, and also you’re underage.”
“Remember when I had to visit my mom two weeks ago?” Solace turned around, laying his arms on Di Angelo’s lap. “When I told her about my idea and that I have to wait until my eighteenth birthday, she told me there's no need to wait, as she can write me a guardian’s consent. So there we are.”
“And you've been hiding it under your hair since then? You didn’t even bother to show it to me?”
“How did you say it?” Will pretended to think about something. “Sometimes I want to keep my secrets just for myself.”
“Ughh, I cannot with you.” Nico hid his face in his hands.
“But do you like it?” He moved away his hand, showing off the blushed face.
“Yeah…maybe,” Will giggled. “Now stop embarrassing me, sun boy!”
“As you wish, your majesty.” He held his face and quickly kissed him. “I have to go back to my duties.”
He started walking toward the entrance, but he felt Nico’s hand on his shoulder.
“One last thing.” He climbed up on his toes and kissed Will’s neck. “Don’t you even dare to show it to anyone. It has to stay between us.”