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"So," Annabeth said, brushing the coal off her hands as the fire sparked and she stood up. "Night watches?"
"I can take first," Nico murmured. "I don't sleep a lot, anyways."
Will shot Nico a worried glance that Nico read perfectly.
Are you sure?
Yes, Nico seemed to say, his eyes rolling.
Okay, Will nodded.
"That's a solid plan," Percy said. "Will, you wanna go after?"
"Sure, Perce."
"Then me, and then Wise Girl."
"No, Seaweed Brain. You didn't sleep last night. You don't get a watch tonight."
Percy almost argued, but Annabeth glared at him, and he nodded.
"Okay."
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The fire was bright.
Nico was awake, picking at the scabs on his arms and trying to stay conscious. He watched firelight dance across the trees, trying to forget about the blond son of Apollo sleeping in the tent behind him.
His mind wandered anyways.
He wondered if Will slept curled up or sprawled out.
And did he sleep lightly or deeply?
And did he mumble or stay quiet?
And did he remember his dreams or forget them?
Nico decided to sing instead of thinking.
"Who are you, who am I to you?
I am the antichrist to you.
Falling from the sky with grace
Into your arms race."
But that made Nico think of Will even more, so he stopped.
His chest ached. He couldn't stop thinking about Will.
The son of Apollo's smile lingered in his mind. Nico had his face memorized — the freckles across his cheeks and nose and on the tips of his ears, his pale blue irises that got lighter the closer to his pupil and darker closer to his sclera, his pink lips that Nico desperately wanted to kiss—
Nico pushed that thought into the back of his mind and locked it there forever.
He sighed and dug in his pack, fingers tightening around the skull ring that Will had given him for his birthday. He pulled it out of the bag and studied it. The metal gleamed in the firelight, an orangey-yellow, almost honey color, like everything else.
Nico's eyes darted to the yellow tent behind him before returning to the ring.
Will's asleep, Nico thought. Don't wake him.
Nico let out a long, tired sigh and settled back against the log.
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Nico had been watching blood from a scab he'd picked off trickle down his arm when he heard a tent zipper.
He didn't bother turning around.
Blood dripped down his arm and onto his black jeans. He watched it almost curiously, the red liquid bright in the dying fire's glow.
"Nico?"
Will's voice. Nco didn't respond.
"Nico..."
No response.
"Nico, for the gods' sake, look at me!" Will snapped. "You're bleeding."
"I know."
Will walked over in front of him and crouched.
"Hey. You're okay."
"I know."
"You wanna talk?"
"No."
"Okay."
Will didn't push. He simply shifted onto his knees and grabbed his medical bag.
"Arm," he asked, hand out. When Nico offered his bleeding arm, Will began wrapping it in bandages.
They say in silence for a while. The only sound was the dying campfire and bandages shifting.
Finally, Nico broke the silence.
"If we split up the group," he murmured, "can I be paired with you? Not for any reason other than the fact I think we make for a good team; a side story, or two. Slay a couple dragons together, and I can't help but... " he trailed off, taking a breath.
"I can't help but think that, maybe, you and me could kinda, sorta... I'm not sure where this sentence is going..."
Will chuckled softly, but he didn't interrupt. He kept gently wrapping Nico's arm.
"Um...I can't help but think that you and I could, possibly, try to take on a side quest sometime..."
Will froze, his eyes meeting Nico's.
Pale blue and dark brown.
Neither moved for a moment, but then Will looked back down at Nico's arm and Nico continued.
"If we split from the team, would you wanna follow me? Or I could follow you, c'mon, let's do our own thing." The second part sounded rushed, hurried, like he was trying everything he could do to keep Will listening.
"I sound like such a flirt, but I thought this would work... Something about you just leaves me all fidgety, speechless, and wishing we were something a little bit more than the friends that we are... But I'll take this if it means I get to be around you," Nico whispered.
Will's pupils were dilated as he gazed up at Nico.
"I-"
Nico cut him off. "I wanna make stories to put on a shelf. I wanna protect who can't protect themselves.I wanna do everything I can, and more. So...do you accept my side quest? Or-"
"Nico-"
"I wanna make stories to put on a shelf," Nico repeated. "I wanna protect you when you can't protect yourself. I wanna do everything I can and more. So, do you accept my side quest, or do I gotta woo you a little bit more?"
When Nico finished, it was almost fully silent.
Nico's eyes were wide, though the almost black hue to them was more honey-colored in the light.
"I love you," Will blurted.
Nico's world dissolved around the two.
Both their eyes were dilated now, and the air suddenly felt hot and charged and electric.
Will swallowed.
"I'm- oh, gods- sorry-"
Nico leaned forward, grabbed Will's face, and sealed their lips together.
Will gasped softly, then kissed him back like he'd been waiting for years.
Because he had.
They pulled apart far too soon for Nico's liking.
"William," Nico gasped softly.
Will didn't respond. He looked down at Nico's half-bandaged arm and finished bandaging it.
"You didn't have to do that just 'cause I said that," Will murmured.
"Oh, you oblivious idiot, Will," Nico hissed. "Kiss me. Please."
"A-are you sure?"
"Oh, my gods, Will. Do you not want to?"
"No, I do, but-"
"Then do it."
Will hesitated before leaning forward and tentatively pressing his lips to Nico's. Nico didn't do anything but kiss him back, but he wanted to pull him tight and kiss his neck and lay on his chest.
They pulled apart once more.
"Can I do it again?" Will asked, and Nico nodded
Will's lips sealed around his, more sure this time.
They pulled apart, and Nico kissed his again quickly after, arm wrapping around Will's neck.
"Nico..." Will whispered, eyes wide.
Nico just kissed him again, and Will melted into him.
Soft gasps slipped from both of them. Will's hands went to Nico's waist and he held him there as they kissed. Nico's mouth opened to say something, and Will took that as an invitation to slip his tongue into the smaller boy's mouth. Their tongues fought for dominance.
Nico sank his teeth lightly into Will's bottom lip, then pulled back and let go with a satisfying little pop!
"Ah~"
The sound came from Will, who whimpered softly from the loss of contact and leaned forward again, cupping Nico's cheek. Instead of kissing his lips, though, he bit Nico's neck gently. His teeth grazed this ivory skin on Nico's neck.
Then he pulled away, and their lips were back to kissing and tongues back to fighting.
They had just parted and were about to kiss again when a voice came from behind them.
"Well, I see you two are very focused on watching for monsters."
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Annabeth wasn't mad, exactly, but she did keep making jokes and comments about it. She told Percy the moment he woke up, ansd they were laughed at for a good five minutes.
"Let's just go," Will had said, and they had finally stopped. After all, they'd retrieved the lyre, and now all they had to do was get out of the woods.
They managed to get out of the forest by noon of that day, and by evening the entire camp knew what had happened.
Will and Nico locked themselves in Cabin 13 for a whole day just to avoid the allegations.