Chapter Text
Nico woke up cold.
That was the first unusual thing.
Will was supposed to be here, keeping him warm and toasty.
Nico groaned, rolling over. There was meant to be a warm healers back instead the cold of the sheets hit him, Nico barely held back a whine. He cracked his eyes open, the dark roof of his cabin staring back at him, almost teasing him but not daring to say anything.
Nico glanced at the clock beside his bed.
3:07 am
Nico groaned, rubbing the heels of his palms into his eyes.
He was gonna have to hold up his end of the bargain…or maybe he could stay in bed, and get Will back later?
Yea that seemed like a good plan, Nico hummed as he curled back up in the blankets.
Two minutes later Nico shifted.
Another minute passed, Nico rolled onto his back.
Then onto his side again.
Nico huffed.
He wasn’t going back to sleep.
Not unless Will was next to him. Snoring away, his warmth radiating off him. Nico lay tangled in the blankets for another few minutes before he got up, stretching his arms up as his back cracked.
Nico swung his legs over the edge of the bed, his feet hitting the cold wood. He shuffled over to his cupboard throwing one of Wills jumpers over his oversized, deciding to leave his shorts on, as he was going to get back into bed anyways.
His words echoed in his head as he made his way to the infirmary, the harpy’s wisely avoiding him.
“You stay late in the infirmary again Solace, and I. Am. Going. To. Scare. The. Absolute. Hades. Out. Of. You.” He had said, punctuating each word with a sharp point at Wills chest.
Will had laughed, “Sure babe, if you can even get your ass out of bed.”
Nico had grumbled and then sulked.
Now as he approached the infirmary he was still grumbling. He didn’t want to be up, he wanted to be asleep in his healers arms.
“Unbelievable.” He muttered, he could see one light glowing dimly from inside,
It was three in the morning.
Three!
A normal person would be asleep.
A normal healer would be asleep.
Will Solace, unfortunately, was neither. (I mean neither was Nico but…)
He stopped outside the doors of the infirmary, crossing his arms. He hesitated before pushing the door open as quietly as possible.
The hinges betrayed him with a soft creak.
Nico froze
Nothing.
No reaction.
No ‘hello?’
Or ‘in here.’
Not even a ‘Nico?’
He crept in, shuffling closer to the source of light, scanning the room for Will.
And there he was!
Standing.
Just...
Standing?
Nico blinked.
Will was beside one of the supply shelves, a clipboard dangling loosely from one hand, the other frozen mid air as if he was about to grab something.
Nico waited a beat, wills head tipped forward more. His breathing soft and strong.
Completely motionless, except for the rise and fall of his chest.
Nico stared.
"...Will?" He whispered.
Nothing.
No response (again).
No movement.
He narrowed his eyes.
The idiot had finally done it! He was so sleep deprived he'd started hibernating vertically.
A grin spread across Nico's face.
Oh, this was going to be gold. This was going to scare the actually shit out of Will. Hopefully enough to get him to stop staying out so late.
Nico kicked off his shoes, creeping forward
One step.
Two steps.
Three.
Still nothing.
Gods, this was too easy.
He crept up behind Will, careful not to breath to strongly and warn Will of his presence.
Nico waited a beat before —in the most dramatic voice he could manage at three in the morning— he whispered-shouted:
"Boo."
One second, Nico was standing.
The next Will had grabbed his arm, twisted it behind his back and slammed him into the floor.
Face pressed against cold wood.
A knee between his shoulder blades.
And enough pressure to let Nico know that moving was no longer his decision, and if he tried to make it his decision… well it was gonna hurt.
Will's voice came out low and rough with sleep.
"Don't move. It will hurt.”
Nico squirmed.
The pressure increased.
Not much.
Just enough to make him still.
"Will," he tried, "it's me."
Silence.
"Not possible."
Nico froze. "...Excuse me?" He hissed
A long pause.
The knee on his back shifted.
"Nico's in bed."
“William Andrew Solace! You get off me right now, or so help me—“
"Nico," Will cut him off, voice thick with exhaustion, "would never get up just to prove a point."
Will twisted his arm slightly, pain spread up his arm.
Nico gasp, “Will, you’re hurting me!”
Something about the tone or his words snapped Will out of it.
He blinked. “Nico?”
He leaned down, his golden curls coming into Nico view.
His arm was released, wills warm hands coming to hold either of his biceps. The knee between his shoulders disappeared and his face was finally able to lift from the floor. He sat up as Will stared at him.
Will blinked again.
Once.
Twice.
The sleep drained from his expression, replaced by horror.
“Nico!” He gasp, pulling him into his arms. “I’m so sorry I shouldn’t have done that. Icantbelieveididthatohmygodsimsosorryplease—“
“Will,” Nico slid his arms around Will. “It’s alright.”
“It’s not. It not ok.” Will muttered releasing Nico.
“You know what’s not ok?”
Will cocked his head.
“breaking your promise.” Nico crossed his arm. “You didn’t come to bed.”
“Shit, I’m sorry.”
“Shh. None of that. Let’s go.”
“I need to finish this.”
“I’ll help you tomorrow, it’s late — early. Whatever.”
Will chucked, standing up and offering his hand to Nico.
The two wandered back to the hades cabin, the harpies staying far away, not daring to come near Nico.
Nico collapsed into bed — ready to fall back asleep now that his Sunshine was here. — as Will went to change.
A few minutes later Will came shuffling out of the bathroom, the bed dipped and a couple seconds later Will was plastered against Nico back.
“Is your arm ok?” Will whispered.
“Yea.”
“And your face?”
“Maybe a bruise.” Nico shrugged.
“I’ll heal you tomorrow if anything’s sore.”
Nico turned his head and kissed Wills cheek, “Sleep sunshine.”