Archive of Our Own

Nico

I shivered, pulling my jacket closer around me as I trekked through the snow towards the Apollo cabin.

Of course, of fucking course. The first major, life threatening, snowstorm New York’s experienced in decades had to go right through the barriers. That’s how much fucking snow there is! A magic fucking barrier won’t hold it back! I growled at the thought. If I knew any better than I’d say this was some godly storm, but nope! Olympus confirmed it was no their doing, nor was it a new monster or another pissed off titan.

Just a really, really inconvenient (and cold) natural disaster.

Lucky us.

I knocked on the door, Will opened it. A smile instantly forming on his face as he saw me, I smiled back. It’s not my fault his beautiful smile is contagious.

“Oh my gods, is that Will Solace wearing pants!?” I gasp, shooting Will a teasing glance.

He scoffed, rolling his eyes at me affectionately. “Shut it di Angelo, It’s not my fault we are having a freak snow storm.”

“I’m sick of snow.” I groaned.

“Me too,” Will pouted. “I miss my cargo pants.”

“Of course you do.” I laughed.

Will rolled his eyes, “Come on, let’s stop making fun of my pants choice and go get lunch. I am starving!”

“Gods forbid the sunshine boy misses a meal,” I muttered, stepping aside so he could close the door behind him.

“Hey,” Will said defensively, falling into step beside me as we started toward the dining pavilion. “You’re the one who came to me, to grab lunch. Usually, I have to drag you out.”

“Wow,” I said flatly. “Such a gentleman, Solace.”

“It’s one of my many talents.” Will smiled down at me, catching my hand in his.

Snow crunched beneath our boots as we walked.

I glanced over at the beach, the shoreline was almost completely frozen over today. Over the past week I had watched as I slowly hardened into something campers could possibly skate on, if Chiron (and probably Will) approved it.

Dark patches of water broke through ice in places, others it was covered in a thin layer of snow.

Suddenly a scream shot through the air, slicing through the relative silence.

Will and I both froze.

Before we could even react, another shout followed.

“Monsters!” Someone screamed.

“Well,” Will muttered. “There goes lunch.”

“Tragic,” I agreed, already letting go of his hand and reaching for my sword.

The monsters burst out of the treeline near the shore, huge and lumbering. With ugly horns and fat beady eyes , each already searching for its next demigod snack.

Kallikantzaros. ((Yes these are real, I did my research))

A few demigods ran towards the beasts, jumping into action to help the already injured.

Then someone stumbled past us, clutching their arm. Blood soaking through their sleeve, leaving a bright trail against the snow.

Will’s entire posture changed instantly, as he switched into healer mode,

“I’ll help the campers,” I said quickly. “You go help.”

Will hesitated, clearly wanting to argue.

“Be careful.” He said instead.

“You too, sunshine.”

As Will ran to catch up with the bleeding camper, I turned back to the fight, merging into the closest shadow.

It was dark and cold—almost as cold as the snow— per usual. It didn’t really phase me anymore, it made others feel sick but all it did was make me a little sleepy for a second. Unless I did it too much, as Will would say ‘over-extort myself’, then I would be sleepy and again as Will would say ‘clingy’ until I passed out from exhaustion.

The shadows spat me back out a few metres from the fight.

I let myself breathe for a second, regaining full consciousness. The cold air rushed into my lungs as I straightened, sword already raised.

The Kallikantzaros’s were bigger up close. Their thick grey skin was matted with frost and patches of ice clung to them like armour.

I ran into the battle, ready to defend the camp.

As we fought the sand around us became wet and thick, making it hard to run on, giving the large beasts a slight advantage.

I slashed at one’s arms, giving an Aphrodite camper a chance to strike its leg.

The thing swung its massive arm, sending her skidding across the snow in retaliation.

It roared, beating its hairy chest. lowering its horns, ready to charge at the Aphrodite girl.

“HEY!” I yelled, it turned its beady eyes to me.

I stabbed at it, forcing it to turn its attention to me.

It roared right in my face, so loud my ears rang.

“Yeah,” I muttered, tightening my grip on my sword. “Pick on someone who actually—”

The Kallikantzaros swung its arm.

I barely had time to register the movement before something slammed into my side.

Fast and hard.

The world spun as I was flung backwards, my boots leaving the snow entirely.

I hit the frozen lake with a painful crack, sliding across the ice until I finally stopped.

For a second I just lay there, staring up at the swirling snow.

“Ow,” I wheezed, clutching my side.

I slowly eased myself up onto my elbows.

The monster stood at the edge of the ice, snorting clouds of steam into the freezing air.

I eyed the distance… it and thrown me like 15 meters!

Will was going to kill me— if this thing doesn’t first, I thought bitterly.

Its hooves stepped onto the frozen surface.

Crack.

It lowered its horns.

And started running straight at me, somehow not falling through the ice.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” I groaned.

I sprung up before my body even had time to complain. I spread my feet, widening my stance, ready to kill this thing.

Each heavy step it took made the frozen shoreline groan beneath its weight.

I barely dogged its horns as it came pounding across the ice.

As it snorted—angry that it had missed me—I  went lunging at it slashing its chest as it turned round to face me.

The monster bellowed and staggered backward, the ice creaked ominously under its weight.

Not good.

A loud crack echoed across the frozen surface.

The Kallikantzaros slammed into me, its massive weight driving us both backward.

Big mistake on his behalf.

For one terrible second there was nothing but the sharp sound of cracking ice beneath my feet.

Then the surface shattered.

The world dropped out from under me.

I gasp as the freezing water swallowed me whole.

The cold hit like a punch to the chest, ripping the breath from my lungs as I plunged beneath the surface. Everything went dark and silent except for the rushing roar of icy water.

I swam up for the surface, ready to use the last of my strength to haul myself out.

My head broke the surface and I gasp for air, my breath fogging in the chilly air.

I stabbed my sword into the ice, preparing to pull myself out of this death trap.

Then something swished past my ankle.

My breath hitched…The Kallikantzaros had gone under with me.

A huge, hairy hand clamped around my leg and yanked.

I slid back into the water with a splash, the freezing lake swallowing me again.

Water rushed past as the monster dragged me under.

Panic flared in my chest.

I twisted, kicking hard as its grip tightened around my ankle. The cold was already slowing my movements, my limbs heavy and clumsy.

The monster’s horns glinted faintly in the dark water as it tried to pull me deeper.

‘Nope.’ I thought.

I drove my sword downward.

The blade struck something solid.

The Kallikantzaros roared, the sound muffled and distorted underwater.

Its grip loosened.

I kicked free, scrambling upward again, lungs burning.

I broke through the surface with a desperate gasp, coughing as icy air filled my lungs.

My hands clawed at the edge of the broken ice, fingers barely managing to grab hold.

I peered down as I watched a the monster dissolved  into sparkling gold dust that disappeared with the current.

Good.

At least that problem solved itself.

Now I just had to get out.

I tried to pull myself up.

My arms trembled violently as I dragged my chest onto the ice.

The surface groaned beneath my weight.

Then cracked.

“Oh come on—”

The ice snapped and I slipped back into the water with a splash.

The cold somehow felt worse this time, seeping deep into my bones.

I grabbed the edge again, teeth chattering uncontrollably.

Shadow travel.

I could shadow travel out.

I closed my eyes, trying to focus on the darkness.

Nothing happened.

The cold made it impossible to concentrate.

My fingers are already numb, my nose is freezing off, if I don’t get out of here soon… I’m dead.

Snow blew across the frozen lake as the storm raged around me.

The sounds of battle had faded.

No one had seen me fall…

I tightened my grip on the ice, trying to ignore the way my arms were shaking.

I just had to hold on.

Someone would come looking eventually.

If not, Will would notice I was missing.

Right?

Surely, I thought.

Will

“Hey Kay,” I called.

“Yea?”

“You good here? I want to go check on Nico, I haven’t seen him.”

“Yea, that’s cool. I’ll find Austin if I need help.”

“Alright, don’t hesitate to come get me if big though. And thanks.”

Kayla rolled her eyes, ushering me to the door. “No problem, you owe me though.”

Now it was my turn to role my eyes, “I’m head councillor, I could just force you to cover for me.”

Kayla scoffed as I pulled my jacket on. “Whatever cya, loser.”

“Bye Kayla.” I waved as I walked out.

Snow crunched beneath my shoes as I searched for Nico.

I wasn’t worried, Nico disappeared all the time. His powers made it pretty easy. Half the time he’d do it just to pop up behind a monster or somewhere dramatic just to scare the hell out of people. It pissed me off though because sometimes he’d disappear for a whole day, sometimes accidentally because he’d tired himself out doing it.

Still, I understood why he did it.

Sometimes you need a break from people.

I checked the dining pavilion first, hoping maybe he was just grabbing food.

Nope, no here.

Then the training arena, maybe he was helping put the weapons away?

Just a couple campers were still dragging monster dust-stained weapons.

“Hey,” I called, jogging over to them. “Have you guys seen Nico?”

One of them shook their head. “Not since the fight.”

Now I was worried.

“During the fight?” I asked, willing my voice to stay steady.

“Yeah,” the other camper said. “He was by the shoreline. Saved my little sister.”

“Thanks.” I nodded.

Okay. That was fine. Totally fine.

He probably walked to the hades cabin. Except he hated walking through this much snow.

He must have shadow traveled back to the Hades cabin, I decided.

A cold, creeping feeling started working its way up my spine.

I quickened my pace.

I glanced around the green space as I passed between cabins.

The Hades cabin door was shut.

I knocked once.

Nothing.

“Nico?” I called.

Still nothing.

I pushed it open, the door creaking open.

Empty.

“Nico?” I called again, louder this time.

Still nothing.

A thought flashed through my head—that camper… he had said he was fighting at the shoreline… surely not. He would have shadowed out.

I didn’t bother closing the cabin door, letting it bang shut behind me, as I turned and ran.

The freezing wind bit at my face as I sprinted toward the beach, boots slipping in the snow. The storm had picked up again, snow whipping across the camp in thick white sheets.

The battlefield was quiet now.

The only things left where piles of monster dust and trails of blood, both made my stomach churn as the snow covered them.

I scanned the area, heart pounding.

“Neeks!”

Nothing.

Just the wind and the groaning of ice shifting over the lake.

My gaze drifted across the frozen water.

That’s when I saw it.

Nico sword.

At first it barely registered.

Just a dark shape near a jagged hole in the ice.

My stomach dropped.

“Nico!”

I ran forward, sliding to a stop near the edge of the broken ice.

Nico was half submerged in the freezing water, clinging weakly to the ice. His head rested against his arms, as they trembled.

Ice had already started forming again around the edges of the hole.

His lips were blue.

His whole body was shaking violently.

For a split second he just stared at me like he wasn’t sure I was real.

Then he croaked weakly, “Took you… long enough.”

My heart nearly stopped.

“Oh my gods,” I breathed.

And that’s when the ice beneath my feet decided to crack.

“Will…” he shivered. “Go…”

“What?”

“Will,” he rasped. “Stop.”

I ignored him, dropping flat onto the ice and crawling closer to the edge to spread my weight.

The movement sent another web of cracks racing outward.

“Will!” Nico snapped, or at least tried to. It came out slurred and weak.

“I’m getting you out.” I said through clenched teeth, inching forward.

“No,” he said immediately.

I froze for half a second.

“…No?”

“You’re going to fall in,” Nico said, his voice shaking from both the cold and frustration. “The ice is breaking.”

“I hadn’t noticed.” I replied, reaching out for him.

Another sharp crack split across the frozen surface.

Nico’s eyes widened.

“Go…”

I swallowed.

He tried to shove my hand away, but his numb fingers barely had any strength behind them (It felt more like a weak push if anything). I grabbed his hand—it felt colder than a corpses—ignoring the ice cracking around me.

“Not happening.”

The ice creaked loudly beneath my chest again.

Nico’s eyes flicked down to it, panic flashing across his face.

“Will…listen to me,” he said, breath coming out in shaky bursts of fog. “Get help.”

I stared at him.

“Are you serious right now?”

“Yes!” he snapped, his voice breaking slightly. “If you fall in too—”

His arm slipped suddenly and he dipped lower into the water.

My heart jumped into my throat.

I lunged forward, ignoring the groaning ice. I grabbed elbow, helping him pull himself back up as he lifted his other arm back up onto the ice.

“Stop.” He choked.

Another sharp crack echoed across the frozen surface.

Nico stared at me like I was the one who’d completely lost my mind.

“You’re going to fall in,” he said quietly.

“And you’re going to freeze to death if I don’t pull you out,” I said.

Snow whipped across the ice between us.

For a moment neither of us spoke.

Then Nico shook his head weakly.

“Just… get Percy or someone,” he mumbled. “You’re a healer.”

I blinked.

“Did you seriously just try to pull the ‘you’re more important’ card on me?”

He didn’t answer, looking away.

Something hot and angry flared in my chest despite the freezing wind.

“Nico di Angelo,” I said, voice low, “if you think I’m leaving you in freezing water while I go get help, you’ve officially lost your mind. Besides Percy’s with his mum at the moment, he wouldn’t get here for hours at best,”

Another crack split the ice beneath my arm.

Nico’s eyes widened in alarm.

“No… it’s not safe.”

“Why do you think I’m getting you out!”

“Go will.” He pulled his hand out of mine, pushing off the edge of the ice.

He treaded water for about three seconds before he sunk. I plunged my hand into the icy water, ignoring the sting. My hand grabbed his, pulling his head up to the surface.

Nico gasped weakly, coughing as freezing water ran down his face. His wet hair clung to his forehead, his teeth chattering so violently I could hear it over the wind.

The ice groaned beneath me.

I slid my hands down to Nicos elbows, lifting them up to make it easier to slide my hands under his arms. I braced my own arms on the brittle ice and pulled up with all my strength.

Nico barely moved.

His body was dead weight in the water. The water seemed to have a suction on him, like it had a claim over him. His soaked clothes did nothing but  drag him down, as his arms slipped weakly against my grip.

The ice beneath my elbows creaked loudly.

“Come on,” I muttered, gritting my teeth as I pulled again.

Nico tried to help, but his arms trembled violently. His fingers scraped uselessly against the ice before sliding off again, he gave up and just placed them on mine.

“Will—” he rasped.

“I’ve got you,” I said quickly, shifting my grip further under his arms, the angle I was pulling him up in, certainly didn’t help.

Another sharp crack shot through the ice.

I froze.

A jagged line split across the surface inches from me.

Nico noticed too.

His eyes widened in alarm.

“Stop,” he whispered, weakly trying to slip from my grasp.

“No.”

“Will, you’re going to fall in.”

I pulled again.

The water seemed to release him as I dragged him slid halfway onto the ice before the surface groaned dangerously beneath the extra weight.

Both of us froze.

Snow blew across the frozen lake, the wind howling around us.

“See?” Nico panted weakly. “The ice can’t hold both of us.”

I ignored him and adjusted my grip again, sliding my arms around his rips fully now.

“Nico,” I said firmly. “When I say. Lift your legs up onto the ice.”

He shook his head immediately.

My stomach twisted, we were running out of time.

“Just try.” I urged.

Another crack split the ice near my elbow.

Nico heard it.

“Will,” he said again, his voice thin with exhaustion. “Let go.”

I stared at him.

“You’re kidding.”

“You’ll fall in,” he repeated, barely able to keep his eyes open now. “Then we both die.”

Anger flared hot in my chest.

“Nico di Angelo,” I snapped, “if you think I’m letting you drown in a frozen lake, you’re even more dense than usual.”

His lips twitched weakly.

“Didn’t say drown,” he murmured. “Freeze.”

“Not helping.”

I tightened my grip.

“Ready?”

He didn’t answer.

“Nico.”

His eyes slowly focused on me again.

“…What?”

“When I say.”

He gave the tiniest, tired nod.

I hauled him upwards, with everything I had, standing on my knees as I pulled him towards me. The surface cracked and groaned beneath the sudden weight.

“Now.”

Nico weakly slid his legs into his body.

I scrambled backwards, pulling him with me as the ice splintered.

The ice beneath us groaned but held.

For a moment neither of us moved.

Than Nico collapsed into me, breathing heavily.

Nico

I fell into Will, his warmth hitting me like a wave. He was so warm, I leeched off it and it made me so, so, very sleepy.

I felt Will pull me closer, cupping my face with his warm hands.

I couldn’t feel my teeth chatter as he stroked my face. “Nico.”

I tried to look up at him through half-lidded eyes, but my head tipped forward and I gave up, letting my eyes close.

I barely heard Will yell “Nico—hey—hey!”

“Don’t you dare fall asleep!” Was the last thing I heard before I let myself slip into sleep.

Will

“Nico.”

His body went limp against me.

For one terrifying second my brain completely blanked.

“No, no, no.”

I grabbed his shoulders , shaking him gently.

“Nico, wake up. Come on. Stay with me.”

Nothing.

Panic shot through my chest.

“Gods…”

My hands were already moving on instinct, checking his pulse and breathing.

His pulse was there—weak, but there. His breathing slow and shallow.

I lifted one and sent a small burst of golden light into the air. It shot upward like a flare, glowing bright against the storm clouds.

Apollo cabin signal: Healer needed.

“Come on,” I muttered, tightening my grip on Nico as his body sagged against me. “Come on, someone see that…”

The wind howled across the frozen lake.

A couple minutes passed before I heard anything.

“Will!”

Relief hit me like a truck, nearly knocking the breath out of me.

Two figures came running through the snow toward us.

Kayla and Austin.

They’d seen the signal.

“Hey, be careful!” I yelled, “The ice is thin in some places?”

Kayla threw up a quick thumbs-up as they slowed, carefully making their way toward us.

“Shit,” Kayla breathed when she got close enough to see Nico.

“What happened?”

“He fell into the water and couldn’t get out.”

“How long’s he been out here?” Austin asked, already pulling emergency blankets from his bag.

“Since the Kallikantzaros.”

Austin swore under his breath.

“We need to get him warm and awake, now.”

Kayla glanced at me. “Can you carry him?”

“Yeah.”

I slid one arm under Nico’s legs and the other behind his back, pulling him carefully against my chest. His clothes were soaked and freezing, the cold seeping straight through mine.

I stood slowly.

The ice groaned beneath the added weight.

For a horrible second I thought it might crack again.

But it held.

“Okay,” Kayla said quietly. “Nice and slow.”

We made our way toward shore, every step careful.

The second my boots hit solid ground again, I didn’t slow down.

The run back to the infirmary was a blur.

Snow stung my face as I pushed through the storm, Kayla and Austin clearing the path ahead of me while a frozen, unmoving Nico lay in my arms.

“Stay with us,” I muttered under my breath as I ran.

“Come on, Neeks… stay with us.”

“Clear a bed!” Kayla yelled.

I place Nico down on an empty cot, as Kayla went and grabbed every heater possible and turned them to Nico.

The infirmary exploded into motion.

“Blankets!” Austin called.

“I’ve got heaters,” Kayla said, dragging two heaters across the floor and pointing them toward Nico’s cot before going off for more.

Warm air blasted across the room, but Nico didn’t react.

His soaked clothes clung to him, water dripping onto the floor beneath the bed.

“Get those off,” I said quickly. “We need dry layers.”

Austin was already helping peel away Nico’s freezing jacket and shirt while I grabbed hot towels.

I clicked the kettles on, and went to search for towels.

I place about ten towels in the infirmary bath.

I took the half-boiled water and poured it over the towels.

I gathered them in a basket, bringing them over to Nico— who was now stripped to his underwear.

My hands shook as I pressed the towels against Nico’s neck, laying the others over the emergency blankets.

Pulse.

Check his pulse.

I moved the towel, pressing my fingers to my boyfriend’s neck.

For a moment I felt nothing.

My stomach dropped.

“Will?” Kayla asked.

“Wait,” I muttered.

My fingers pressed harder against the side of his throat.

A slow, weak beat.

Too slow. Too weak.

And getting slower.

“His pulse is dropping,” I said, my voice tight. “We need to warm him up faster.”

Austin wrapped Nico in two thick blankets while Kayla shoved another heater closer to the bed.

“Come on, Nico,” I murmured, rubbing his arms through the blankets, trying to get some circulation going.

I saw the last breath he took as his chest stopped moving.

I froze.

“…Kayla.”

“What?”

“He’s not breathing.”

Kayla’s eyes snapped to Nico’s chest.

“Shit.”

I tilted Nico’s head back, listening for breath.

Nothing.

“Okay,” I said quickly, forcing my brain into healer mode. “Okay.”

My hands slid into position on his chest, the heel of my palm on his sternum.

I started compressions.

I counted to thirty as Austin hovered beside me, ready to step in.

“Come on,” I breathed. “Come on, Nico.”

Thirty compressions, done.

I leaned down, sealing my mouth over his, pinching his nose and giving two breaths.

His chest rose slightly.

Then I started again.

“One—two—three—four—”

“Will,” Kayla said softly.

“Not yet.”

My arms burned as I kept going.

“Come on, Neeks,” I whispered between compressions.

“Don’t you dare do this to me.”

Another two breaths.

For a horrible moment nothing happened.

Then Nico’s body jerked suddenly beneath my hands.

A ragged gasp tore from his throat.

I stopped instantly, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him into recovery position, as he coughed weakly, dragging in shaky breaths.

Relief slammed into me so hard my vision blurred.

“There you go,” Kayla said quickly, already adjusting blankets around him.

“Good job, breathe.” She smiled, as I just collapsed against him.

Nico’s breathing was shallow and uneven, but it was there.

I pressed a shaking hand against his hair.

Nico

I was covered in about fifteen different blankets, sitting in Will’s bunk—because apparently, and I quote, “the Apollo cabin is warmer than the infirmary.” So Chiron agreed. I think it helped that Will and I were both definitely traumatised from that little… incident, and he thought that it would do us some good to be snuggled together somewhere warm.

I looked up as Will walked in, a small smile on his face.

“Hey, you.” He sat down on the bed, adjusting a blanket. “How you doing?” He asked, cupping my cheek. I sighed into his touch.

“Better.” I groaned, my nose dripping. “I just can’t believe I pretty much died and yet ended up with a cold.”

Will chuckled, “just your luck.”

“Mmm.”

Will slid his hand to my forehead checking my temperature. He hummed, scrunching his brows together. Then he let his hand drop to my wrist, obviously checking my pulse.

Jeez he is such a worry wort, couldn’t he see I was alive and breathing right in front of me?!

“Here.” Will passed me a tea, settling down next to me with his own.

I took a sip, the combination of the warmth of Will pressed against my side and the tea making me relax.

“So warm.”

“Mmhm,” Will said resting his head atop of mine. “just the way you like it.”

I leaned into him, pulling the blankets tighter around us.

After everything that had happened, this warmth felt like the safest place in the world.