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The first time Will laid hands on him, he’d been tattered with the scars from the battle with Gaea. Nico wasn’t quite sure why he noticed the son of Apollo this day, though it may have had a little something to do with the boy giving his gloom right back to him instead of the usual coddling from the other campers.
As the blond snapped at him, Nico had been so taken aback that he had accidentally locked in on the boy’s face, and really learned it for the first time. Gods, was every boy he met unfairly pretty?
The second time, he had been really injured too.
A week after Will berated him for wanting to run off on his lonesome, he’d left Camp Half-Blood to clear his head, trying to come to terms with the idea that he really could live with other people. He’d then gotten charged by a Crommyonian sow, which he honestly could’ve seen coming had he not been so lost in thought. And yet, here he was again, under Will’s hands, getting some sort of salve rubbed into his chin while Will muttered Greek curses under his breath at him.
“You know, for someone you claim you want to stay so bad, you sure do treat me pretty harshly, Solace.” He joked, feeling bad for the boy waking so late at night to take care of him.
“So harsh,” Will said dryly. He handed him a cup full of nectar. “Now drink some of this, it’s a poison I made, just for you.”
Nico snorted, then gulped down the liquid. It burned sweetly down his throat, and his muscles unknit, sores already beginning to heal.
Will didn’t stop glaring at him. Not when the bleeding slowed, not when Nico stopped swaying. If there was a prize for the grumpiest offspring of the sun god, he was winning it.
“You can’t keep doing this.” Will finally said.
Nico shrugged, then took another sip. “Didn’t mean to.” He finished off the cup, handing it to Will. Their fingers brushed slightly, and Will’s hands paused for a moment before drawing away quickly.
“I’m sure,” Will muttered, turning back to clean off his supplies, signaling Nico to leave.
***
Nico can’t even defend his actions the third time around. He’d been on a minor quest for Dionysis to deliver something to Mount Olympus on his behalf, the wine god claiming it was too important to be trusted to go through Hermes’ delivery service–really, he could tell that Nico was getting antsy the longer he stayed among the other campers.
He silently thanked Mr. D in his head, though cursed him once he had been yet again caught off guard by a monster on his way back, this time a Stymphalian bird which became an entire flock, who he had to call upon his army of skeletons to rid himself of, though he let one get too close, which, really, could’ve been avoidable.
It had torn a clean chunk of skin off his calf.
He quickly realized his plot to get into the infirmary again was quite the dumb one, yet he couldn’t take it back now. He then proceeded to limp another 2 yards before biting the bullet and slipping into the first shadow he saw.
He, thankfully, was transported to his own cabin, where he collapsed on the floor and promptly took a nap. He’d been woken by a dream where he’d gotten his leg mauled off by a very small tiger, when he remembered that he most definitely needs to get that checked out.
He hauled himself to the Big House and has to tell himself that he absolutely shouldn’t be perking up at the sight of blond curls ushering him in.
***
Will doesn’t say anything at first.
He just stitched Nico up in silence, his movements less careful, much quicker, as though he’d rather be anywhere but there.
“You didn’t need to come here, you know. This would’ve healed up just fine on its own with some ambrosia and nectar; it’s a rather small cut. Wouldn’t have even scarred.”
Nico went to make an excuse, yet as he opened his mouth, he couldn’t find the words.
“Yeah.” He admitted instead, frozen in place.
Will looked him right in the eyes then, as though daring him to continue.
Nico, too honestly, said, “I know.”
Will tied off the stitch and cut the rest of the string away. It was clean work, the type to dissolve after a few days.
“Take it easy, death boy. Try to find me less, okay?” it was meant to sound lighthearted, yet it had come out annoyed, or at least that’s what Nico could gather. All he could do was nod.
The next time Nico took his not-so happy ass to the infirmary, it wasn’t even that serious. He just wanted a small bandaid. It’d been nearly a month since the last time he’d visited, with awkward eye contact during meal times exchanged with him and Will, yet not a single word in edgewise. He had to psych himself up to actually committing to walking in, and yet, when he did, well–
He immediately felt ridiculous. The infirmary was quiet, sun coasting through the gaps in the blinds, a shallow nod to someplace he didn’t belong. All the cots were empty, for once.
Will was at the counter, his sleeves rolled up, and a couple loose curls poking out of the scrub cap he had on. Nico hesitated. Perhaps he could still walk away without alerting the boy to his presence. Yes, that was wise. Something kept his feet grounded in place, as much as he wanted to about face and leave.
“You’re bleeding,” Will said, not bothering to look up from whatever it was that he was doing.
Nico blinked. “I-uh. Yeah,” he said,lifting his hand. “I just needed a bandage.”
Will made a clicking noise with his tongue. “Take a seat, Sunshine.”
Nico did.
Will walked over, in his tow a rolling cart of medical supplies.
“No, no, it’s just a minor cut, no need to-” Nico started, then stopped, looking down at Will. He didn’t look annoyed, which somehow made Nico feel even worse about this entire ordeal.
“I know,” he said mildly, reaching for an antiseptic wipe. “Humor me.”
Will took his hand in his, cleaning the scrape gently and thoroughly. Nico’s eyes couldn’t leave the sight.
“You always do that, y’know,” Will said suddenly.
Nico’s brows scrunched up. “Do what?”
Will looked him in the eyes, finally. “You downplay your injuries. You’ve done it since the first day I saw you. It’s like you’re apologizing for taking up space.”
Nico remained silent. Will finished up the remaining bandages, then let his hand go. Nico missed the warmth.
“You’re allowed to be in here, you know,” Will added, quieter now. “Even if you’re not, uh, hurt.”
Nico nodded, embarrassed by the callout. He shifted to get up and actually make a run for it this time before he felt Will’s hand on his again. He was feeling his pulse, and his hand lingered for a moment before pulling away again, letting Nico leave his door once more.
The next time Will laid hands on Nico, he really, honest to the Gods, wasn’t trying to get hurt.
His quest had been messier than expected, and there was nothing heroic about it. He lost his footing a few too many times, overshot his shadow travels by at least a few hundred miles each time, and by the time he got home, he had deep bruising along his ribs that matched the blooming purple underneath his eyes.
He walked over to the infirmary again, silently cursing himself in his head for continuing to pester Apollo’s children, and immediately came face to face with the one person he really could’ve been looking a little better for.
“Heard you lot got back a few hours ago. Yet you’re just now walking in, Di Angelo. You’re late.”
Nico shrugged weakly. “Got distracted.”
Will huffed and gestured him over. “Sure you did. Now sit.”
Nico was then handed a cup of nectar, while Will muttered incantations over him, hands on his shoulders.
When Will finished, he let his hands go limp on Nico’s shoulders.
“You did good,” Will said.
Nico blinked.
“What?”
Will frowned. “On your quest. I heard what you three got up to out there. And you made it back. You did well.”
Will’s arms shifted, and he held Nico’s head, kissing his forehead lightly.
Then he froze, pulling back as quickly as he’d done it, as though he’d crossed a line he hadn’t meant to draw.
Will swallowed. “I–” He stopped. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-”
Nico looked him in the eyes, unflinching. He took a moment to breathe before realizing his eyes were burning.
“No,” he whispered. “It’s okay.”
Will searched his face desperately, searching for something. He must have found whatever it was he was looking for, his shoulders untensing.
His hands fall back down to his sides, the silence in the infirmary louder than before.
Nico straightens. “I should go.”
Will starts, “Nico–”
“It’s fine.” He says quickly. “Really.”
He reaches the door before Will can stop him.
“You don’t have to–” Will starts to speak once more.
Nico pauses, but doesn’t turn around.
“I know,” he says softly. “That’s why I won’t.”
There's a beat of silence behind him.
Nico makes it back to his cabin, albeit feeling less like he was going to collapse into a pile of bones.
Later, he presses his fingers to his forehead- where Will’s lips had been, the phantom feeling still there.
It doesn’t feel like something he’s allowed to keep.