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Will glowed. This was a fact.
He was that annoying nightlight that never shut off. Kayla never failed to remind him of that.
It went unnoticed in the sunlight, but on cloudy days or in dim rooms, you could always see a small glowing halo around Will.
But that’s the boring part.
The cool part was that he changed color.
Most people didn’t notice, since the aura was almost always yellow.
A few of the older demigods remembered a time before the Titan’s war, and could have sworn that Will’s aura had been more of a soft blue. But few actually saw Will glowing before the war. The ones who saw him in the dark the most were his cabinmates. And they… are no longer available to ask.
For the most part, Will glowed a happy yellow, and that was all that most saw until the Romans came.
Imagine the shock in the counselor meeting when the soft buttery yellow was replaced by bright raging red. “I wish I was an archer. At least then I’d be able to shoot Octavian off his high horse,” Will grumbled, looking disgusted at his hands. “Unfortunately I’m just a healer.”
For once, the demigods realized that Will was clearly not in a mood to talk about his glow. They continued the meeting as usual, with a few wary glances tossed Will’s way.
Later, Austin would ask him why he was a different color that day.
Will let out a small laugh. “The color depends on my emotions.”
When word got around, it just cemented Will Solace’s reputation as the sunshine healer. Of course he was yellow. Grass was green. Sadness is blue. Will Solace was yellow.
And yellow was a beautiful color, the color of happiness, of joy, of innocence. And it was soft, and warm, and made you think of days before. Before the war. Before the betrayals. Before the deaths.
So whenever Will walked into a room, it was like a little sun followed him, his sunshine personality and appearance only making it more impactful.
When he grinned at people, they smiled back.
How could you not?
And if that glow grew a bit brighter, a bit warmer? Everyone was happier.
People were amazed how the glow only seemed to brighten as the Giant War dragged on. As the threats grew bigger. How could anyone, even Will Solace, be that optimistic?
He wasn’t naive. Far from it. He had seen the horrors of war and death first hand. He had clung to a dying child as she took her last breath. And still, he glowed and smiled.
This was what everyone else saw.
This was the Will Solace that Nico asked out, stuttering and bashful (perhaps a more than a bit red-faced).
When Nico asked, he thought he saw a flicker of blue in the glowing yellow. Saw the yellow dim.
But it only lasted a second before everything was back to normal. Nico dismissed it as a figment of his imagination.
Until he realized that the more time he spent with Will, the more blue he saw.
They would be lying on the hills of Camp Half-Blood, just enjoying each other’s company. Nico would tear his gaze from the clouds in the sky to his boyfriend(!) whose eyes would be closed, mouth twisted in a gentle smile. And the yellow would flicker to blue and back to yellow again.
It happened again, in a cafe in New Rome. “You shouldn’t shadow travel for unimportant things,” Will admonished, even as he laughed into his hot chocolate.
“You’re important,” Nico said without thinking. Once he realized what he said, his face turned tomato red and he stared determinedly at the ground. Until he saw another flicker in Will’s aura. It was then that he realized that Will’s glow was a lot dimmer than he remembered.
“What?” Will grinned, catching Nico staring.
“Nothing,” Nico denied. “Why are you sad?” he didn’t say. “Is it my fault?”
And it kept happening.
The more time Will spent with Nico, the more the blue kept showing up. Again, and again. Until it was noticeable enough to start whispers.
“What made the ever cheerful Will Solace sad?” they whispered among themselves.
Me, Nico thought, hollowly. It’s my fault.
Nico continued to panic, while Will seemed completely unfazed. He would tell a stupid joke, laugh at his own joke, finger gun, and call Nico one of his increasingly stupid nicknames like nothing was happening. Like there wasn’t a blue aura steadily growing brighter and bluer every minute they spent together.
Finally, Nico couldn’t take it anymore. He had to know. And if Will was truly unhappy? Then Nico would have to let go of the only person who had loved him as much as his sister. (Does he really though? a nasty voice whispered in Nico’s mind. Does he really love you if you’re making him unhappy?).
“You’re blue,” Nico blurted out one afternoon, while they were hanging out in the cabin. Nico mentally face-palmed himself. That was so tactless, he mentally scolded himself. He would say that he knew better ways to bring up a subject, but well, Nico wasn’t exactly known for his tact.
Will looked up at him. “What?”
“I mean you’re sad,” Nico gestured to the glow. “And it’s been getting bluer every day. And brighter, that means you’re sadder now. Is it my fault? It’s my fault isn’t it? I’m a bad boyfriend, I’m sorry-”
“Nico,” Will interrupted. “You don’t make me sad.”
“I don’t?” Nico asked, confused. “Then why-?”
“-am I blue?” Will finished.
Nico nodded emphatically.
“Because it’s based on my emotions,” Will answered.
“I know that,” Nico said, with attempted patience. “But then why are you sad?”
“Nico,” Will said again. “Blue doesn’t mean sad.”
Nico’s eyes widened in realization. “Then what does it mean,” he whispered.
Will looked at him with a soft smile on his face. “It means I’m happy.”
Nico frowned. “Then what does yellow mean?”
Will sighed and closed his eyes. “Yellow is sad,” he said after a moment.
What. The. BLEEP.
And everything made sense. But it also didn’t.
“So, I make you less sad,” Nico said, trying to put the pieces together.
“Yes, Nico, you make me very much less sad.”
“That,” Nico pointed at Will. “Is horrible grammar.”
“Good thing there’s no grammar police.”
“Shut up,” Nico said, hugging Will. “I’m so glad I don’t make you sad.”
“You could never.”
------------------------
After they hugged it out (like the manly men they were) Nico told Chiron what he had discovered. Apparently someone had overheard them, because soon, the entire camp seemed to know.
“WILLIAM ANDREW SOLACE!” Kayla yelled, startling the blond out of bed.
“Kayla? What time is it?”
“It’s 5am and you’re going to tell me exactly what’s going on right now,” she demanded.
“What are you even talking about?”
“I have to hear, not from my brother or his boyfriend, but from TRAVIS STOLL of all people that my brother’s been depressed for the last, I don’t know, EVER?!” Kayla screamed.
“I don’t approve of the screaming, but I agree with Kayla,” Austin added. “How could you not tell us? We’re your siblings.”
Will winced. “I have it handled.”
Will winced even more at how much angrier Kayla’s expression got. “You very much do not “have it handled,” she glowered. “Everyone’s got nightmares, and guilt, and PTSD, and YOU’RE THE HEAD HEALER!” she realized.
“And you lecture me about my lack of healthy habits,” Nico said. “You’re going to therapy.”
“But-” Will protested.
“Nope!” Austin cut him off. “It’s unanimous. You’re going to see a therapist.”
“I am the camp therapist!”
“You are a teenage kid with issues. You can't give yourself therapy,” Austin said.
“But we can’t talk to mortal therapists! What do I say to a mortal?”
“There are probably therapists in New Rome,” Nico said. “And if not, I’ll find some in the Underworld.”
“They’re right, my boy,” Chiron said, suddenly appearing in the doorway and giving everyone mini heart attacks. “I should have realized you weren’t well. I apologize. But you need time away from responsibility.”
“But-”
“We can have our honeymoon,” Nico suggested.
“We aren’t even married!”
“A vacation then,” Nico acquiesced.
Will sighed, a small smile on his face. “You’re exhausting.”
“No, that’s you.”
“I agree.” Kayla interjected. Austin nodded.
Will laughed, feigning exasperation. He looked around the room, at all the smiling and teasing faces that were staring back at him. He could feel some more blue seep in.
Thank you, he thought to Nico because he couldn’t say it out loud in front of siblings (because they would make fun of him). For everything. Seriously. You made me happy again.
Nico smiled at him, as if he received the message. Will put his arm around him and set the side of his face on top of his head. “You’re squishing me,” he muttered. But he didn’t move away, instead returning the half hug.
Will glowed brighter.
And so, with a lot of convincing, Will went on one of the best vacations of his life, and returned with a very, very bright blue glow.