Chapter Text
Nothing could break the mood he was in right now. Everything felt like too much, even the simplest action of moving a hand to check the time made his shoulder hurt. And elbow. It frustrated Nico to no end, he was supposed to be the strong one, or the quiet one, not the one who couldn't even find a way to get up some the mornings, how pathetic.
After what felt like hours but most likely was only ten-ish minutes, Nico got up, groaning at the sudden headrush, placing a hand against the wall for support. Curse his low iron and probable-deeper-issue-he-can't-get-around-to-get-looked-into.
He quickly chanced into whatever clothes he picked from the floor that didn't smell. He should do the laundry at some point, he really should, but he just keeps on forgetting and postponing it.
Nico pulled through the day, somehow his mask having not slipped badly despite the persistent ache in his head and joints. Seriously, Nico was starting to feel like he should be concerned about them. 'Them' being his joints, especially his spine and knees.
Right now, at five pm, it felt like daggers dipped into lava were being stabbed into his lower back, again and again, and he had just tried to be on a walk. Seriously, the one time he actually does some normal, light exercise, it feels like falling into Styx was a better option.
But, he pulled through. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened, so it was fine. Probably. Hopefully. After all, he had always been like this, and if he really, really strained his brain, he could remember snippets of when Bianca used to complain the same to Mama when they were younger. Mama used to say it was normal, that she had the same pain as Bia did. So, Nico left it be.
He skipped the campfire in favour of just laying in his bed and staring at the ceiling. His back didn't actually hurt so much now. Odd, but probably normal enough, right?
Nico wasn't aware when exactly he fell asleep, but it was well needed.
>->->->->-|-<-<-<-<-<
The next morning, Nico had thought the pain would be gone, he was so sure of it. And for the first few hours, it proved to be true; he walked without limping to the dining pavillion, even managed to eat a 'normal amount' by Will's standards, that's how good he felt.
At ten, he went to train his sword skills. There wasn't really anyone else there yet, though Nico knew that some newer kids would likely arrive at any moment, so he enjoyed every second of the blissfull silence and peace.
It wasn't until really after lunch, having agreed to go climb the rock climbing wall with Will, that the pain started again.
At first, NIco ignored it. Then, his knee buckling under him as he set his other on a new hold nearly got him to fall. That had been much, much closer than Nico would have wanted it to be. So, being responsible for once, he slowly started climbing back down, where Will was on a drink break.
Will glanced up, as he noticed Nico getting down. "Pretty fast, death boy," he teased good-heartedly, but Nico just diligently flipped him off. With Will's slightly hurt face, Nico mumbled a 'sorry', even though he knew that Will wasn't mad at him in any way and it was more of a reflex to look hurt when being flipped the bird.
Nico squirmed a bit, his both feet on the steady ground now. His side hurt. Why did his side hurt? He tried to take deep breaths but that just made the pain worse. Nico tried to stretch a bit, pressed his hand on the hurting spot, and it didn't really hurt. Will looked a bit concerned at his boyfriend's behaviour. Not that Nico noticed it.
After a moment of squirming, Nico decided to lay on the ground, and even though it made the pain go away, now he had leaves and grass in his hair.
Actually, laying on the ground felt pretty nice. His knee didn't bother him so much anymore.
Nico was brought back from his thoughts when he registered someone -- Will -- settling down on the ground beside him, and he lulled his head to see the son of the sun.
"You alright Neeks?" was what Will decided to ask first. Nico didn't connect the dots immediadly as to why Will would ask it. He was fine, wasn't he? Nothing new.
"I'm fine Will. Why do you ask?" Nico couldn't help the slight curiosity coating his counter-question. The human-sized sunshine laid down, making the son of Hades jolt when he suddenly held his hand.
It took a moment for Will to answer. "Well, you've seemed pretty tired lately, and it seemed like you were in pain just now," darn, Nico could kiss this dork right now. If his back wasn't protesting him even trying to get up, that is.
Nico just hummed as an answer looking up to the sky and watched the clouds slowly move across the sky. It was a beautiful day.
They laid there for a couple minutes, until Nico felt like his spine didn't want to stab him anymore and like his own body wouldn't self-destruct with the smallest wrong movement.
Only problem? He couldn't get up. Seriously, what was with his body lately? He can't even get up anymore, what a joke.
"Will? Can you help me stand?" he asked after a second, a bit sheepish for asking for help in such a mundane task.
Will luckily didn't seem to think too much of it, just offered a hand towards Nico that the latter took gratefully, before being pulled up. Just as Nico thought he'd be fine, his head started feeling full and fuzzy suddenly. Headrush, again. This time it felt worse, somehow, and Nico's head ached, making the boy wince quietly.
Nico didn't even realize he had tightened the grip on Will's hand before the son of Apollo started rubbing his hand. "Neeks? Your grip is like a vice."
Nico immediadly let go, his knees buckling slightly with the sudden chance in the center of mass.
"You okay Nico? You're awfully pale," Will asked, voice concerned, as he offered his hand to steady Nico again.
"Yeah, just low iron or something," Nico said, because that was it, wasn't it? He took Will's hand and entwined their fingers together, leaning against Will's side.
He missed the contemplative look on his boyfriend's face.
>->->->->-|-<-<-<-<-<
I was a couple days after the dizzy incident, as Nico had started to call it in his head. It was nearing dinner, and he had felt great the whole day, and it felt like the pain and sudden dizziness was gone for now at the least.
He hadn't felt fatiqued during sparring at all, and even though Will tried to get him to rest, Nico didn't feel that tired, which definetly was a first for him. It was just now that he realized just how tired he was on a daily basis.
It was so wierd not being exhausted for once, it felt almost like he had somehow ascended to godhood or something, like he could do anything now. It was so, so wierd.
It was soon nearing midnight and Nico was still not feeling tired. He couldn't really leave the cabin either, the harpyias out making sure that no camper would sneak around at night.
Nico got up from his bed, walking around his cabin, trying to think of something to do, just to come up woth nothing. The cabin was bare anyways, Nico being the only occupant for the most of the time.
In the genious mind of a sleep-deprived demigod, formulated a plan. Well, it wasn't a plan, really, just a half-assed idea of 'hey, 12:48 AM is the perfect time to rearrange the whole cabin!'.
That's how Will found him laying dead asleep on the floor of the cabin 13, ontop of his comforter, the bed vertically in the middle of the large room, the drawer's drawers open and clothes spilling out and on the floor. The nightstands next to eachother almost right in front of the bathroom door. Will left a note next to the door before leaving the slumbering Nico in peace.