Solangelo

Chapter Nine

Will got no sleep that night. He didn't know where Nico was and he was worried. What if he melted into shadows? What if he died? What if he's alive and I never see him again? 

He didn't know what was going on with him. When he had crushes on girls he never thought this much about them. 

The Apollo cabin started to fill with light and he was still awake, staring at Michael Yew's old bunk. No one had the heart to sleep in it. Nico would be at New Rome by now. Will was going to go to college in New Rome, maybe he would 'accidentally' bump into him there. That was in two years. That was far too much time. Then what?

That was how Will ended up knocking on the Hermes cabin door. Cecil opened it, look at Will and shut it. Will opened the door and Cecil took him out, pulling his arm, shutting the door behind them. "William Andrew Solace, it is six in the morning, you better have a good reason for this. I was getting my beauty sleep."

"I'm bi."
Cecil blinked at him, then nodded, "Okay. But it's six in the morning. What am I supposed to do with that information?"
"Wow, i thought my best friend would have a bigger reaction."
"And your best friend thought he would get a good night of sleep."
"It's six. The sun is up. It's morning."
"Not for me."
"But-"
"Is there a reason you decided that you needed to come out to me at this ungodly hour?"
"I- there's someone."
"Congratulations, Will but it is six in the dam morning."
"There's . . . Nico."
"My sleep can go to hell, what?"
"I thought you might see things the way I do."
"Didn't he leave camp yesterday?"
"Exactly."
"Gimme a second."

Cecil went back into the cabin, pulling a t-shirt over his chest as he came out still. Then he looked at Will and shook his head, leading him to the strawberry fields where no one had the chance of hearing them, "Explain."

Will didn't know where to start. "Alright, so you know how- like- Nico had promised three days in the infirmary. Well- So I kinda was supervising and then he had a nightmare- he gets those and I was sleeping on a chair in the room- Keep in mind I didn't know I was attracted to guys yet- and I woke him up because it was- like- really really bad. Then I didn't really leave his side for the rest of the time and he's actually quite nice. Anyways, the night of his last day, he was sleeping in his cabin and I didn't want him to be alone- because, well, nightmares. And he had one. Then we sorta slept together-"
"You what?"
"Get your mind out of the gutter, Cecil. We were fully clothed, there wasn't even kissing. But then I woke up and he was asleep and I just wanted to stay there forever but I had to go to the infirmary and he left."

Cecil blinked once and then once again. This was a lot to process. He wasn't surprised Will was bi, a lot of the demigods in camp were queer, especially children of Apollo. What was a lot to process was that his best friend had fallen hard for the son of Hades. Now the son of Hades was gone. Maybe for good. 

"Do you know where he is?"
"No."
"Have you tried Iris Messaging him?"
"I need to know where he is."
"Have you tried Nico di Angelo - Earth?"
"That wouldn't work."
"Wouldn't it?"

Will sighed and looked at Cecil. He didn't know what he would do without his best friend who was already making his way to the Big house, drachma in hand.