Nico and Will - Beginning at the Infirmary [Solangelo fanfic]

A Quest Not for the Faint-Hearted

Sensing Chiron and Will still hovering over him, Nico recoiled and rolled off the bed. 

Hitting the ground with a thud, Nico gritted his teeth. So much for projecting a confident, collected front. Nonetheless, he picked himself up and dusted himself off. His legs seemed to melt slightly into the ground as he slowly rose to a standing position. His arms felt like lead as he tried to smooth out his rumpled shirt. 

He looked down to take stock of his body. His skin had taken on a silky, white pallor that was a few shades lighter than usual. His hair was slightly stringy and greased from having been left unwashed for a few days. His clothes were the only thing fresh about his body. He jumped back, or rather, stumbled until he leaned against the wall closest to his bed frame. He was wearing a bright yellow T shirt with the faded letters "ACDC" printed on, a lightning bold between the first C and D. His jeans were still black, but they weren't stiff from dried sweat--as they should have been if he'd been wearing them for a few days. With horror, Nico turned back up to face the pair of bright blue eyes he knew was studying him as hard as he was studying himself. 

"Did you--" Nico started. He used his hands to gesture his torso and legs. 

Will's cheeks seemed tinge pink for a moment. "You needed fresh clothes, and I figured a bright color might bring some optimism to your current condition." He feigned a nonchalant shrug and suddenly turned his gaze to a window on the other side of the room. For a moment, the son of the sun God seemed to lose a sliver of his usual unwavering composure. 

Nico cleared his throat and willed the heat creeping up his neck to subside. "When can we see the Oracle?" he said, turning to Chiron. 

Taken aback by the mismatch between the conviction in Nico's voice and the fragility of his physical state, Chiron hesitated. After a breath of pause, Chiron relented. "You need to get some ambrosia and nectar in you, but after that, Rachel should be free all afternoon."

Nico nodded and tried to fix his countenance to take on an air of confidence. "I'll leave as soon as possible then."

Will snapped his head back to meet Nico's eyes head-on. "You mean we'll  leave as soon as possible."

"What? No. Absolutely not. You heard Chiron. I'm the one who needs to fix my ghostiness."

"Try taking a few steps alone," Will dared with a seed of mockery seeping into his voice. "See how that works out for you."

Continuing to look Will in the eye, Nico willed his right leg forward. Then his left. Although moving his body felt like lifting sheets of steel, he gradually made his way to the door. 

"See?" Nico said with a smirk. "I don't need anyone to come with me. Never have."

Will matched his contempt with a lopsided grin of his own. "Look down."

When Nico shifted his gaze, he noticed his left foot had sunken a half inch into the wooden floorboards. His right foot was a little further along--nearing a full inch. That explained the feeling of wading through quicksand every time he attempted a step. 

"It's okay to let someone else in this time," Will whispered without levity this time. He loped an arm around Nico's waist and helped him hobble back to bed.