Solangelo: The Infirmary

I Swear It

"I can't believe this is happening."

"You're the one refusing to go back to the infirmary."

"Because it's awful!"

"Exactly! Besides, isn't this better?" Will whispered into Nico's ear. They were currently curled up under the blankets on Nico's bed, spooning. Nico had his back pressed up against Will's chest and his head was using Will's arm for a pillow since the pillow had previously been knocked off and they were too lazy to get it from off the floor. Their legs were nothing but a tangle of limbs, and Will's other arm was tossed over top of Nico. Nico had found himself playing with Will's hand, relishing the feeling of interlocking his fingers with Will's.
It was late at night, and Nico had refused to go back to the infirmary. So, with camp rules backing him up, Will convinced Nico to let him have a sleepover, for 'medical reasons'.

"Well I mean, yeah... I guess." Nico flushed. "But really? You had to call it a sleepover?"

Will squeezed Nico, burying his face in the back of Nico's neck. "What else was I supposed to call it? Anyways it's my duty as an Apollo camper and head doctor at CHB to stay with my patient until he feels better."

Nico rolled his eyes. "Excuses, excuses." Nico yawned.

"Good night, Nico." Will whispered sleepily.
"Night... sunshine."

The End!

***** Haha you thought I was done, didn't you? Please, have a little faith. I just thought of some fluffy shit and had to squeeze it into the last chapter. Anyways continue! *****

Despite feeling safer than ever in Will's arms, Nico continued to wake up, feeling on edge. Finally, around three in the morning, Nico was sure there was someone hiding in the shadows of the Hades cabin. Quietly as he could, he slipped from Will's grasp and took up a defensive stance in front of the bed, intending to protect Will, who was still fast asleep.
"Who's there?" Nico hissed into the shadows. After a moment of silence, a voice came from the dark corner of the cabin.

"It's me."

Nico paused and tried to recognize the voice. "Robert?"

The voice laughed as it shifted, becoming deeper and more hollow.
"No, my son." Hades himself stepped into a small sliver of light shining on the floor from the moon outside there he window.

"Dad?!" Nico exclaimed, then covered his mouth, forgetting about Will who was still sound asleep. Hades nodded, then looked around the cabin.

"I uh, like... what you've done... with the place." Nico fully dropped his stance and sighed.

"This was not my idea." They stood in awkward silence for a moment. "What are you doing here? And what happens to Robert?" Hades sighed and stepped closer to Nico, who by reflex, stepped to side to better put himself between the god of death and his boyfriend. Hades, noticing, took a step back.

"The boy who you believed to be Robert is actually not Robert at all. He is simply an Apollo camper. I changed my voice and stood in his place while he snored away that night. I was the one who spoke to you."

"Huh?! Then all that stuff about the war and losing someone important to you and-and... was all bullshit?" Nico raised his voice, suddenly enraged. Why would his father bother with any of this?

Hades pressed a long, almost white looking finger to his lips, then pointed to the snoring Will.
"You do not wish to wake him, correct?"

Nico flushed. He didn't know what his father thought about Will, or about him being gay.

"No, he's had a late couple of nights recently." Nico mumbled, almost to himself. Looking after you. Nico chided himself.

"I see." Hades said softly. He almost seemed to be pondering over something. "This Solace boy is very important to you, right?"

Nico felt his body tense as he inched farther away from his father and closer to Will.
"Yes, he is." Nico held a slightly defensive stance again and held his breath.

After a moment, Hades smiled. "My boy, he is not a spawn of either of my brothers. I cannot think of a better choice." Hades let that sink in.

"HUH?! That's your only criteria? That he's not Percy or Jason? It doesn't bother you that he's a guy? You know I'm a guy, right? And we're together." Nico questioned dubiously.

Hades gave a soft chuckle, which was weird to hear from the god of death.
"Nico, I have told you before. I want you to be happy. And if this boy," he paused and glanced at Will, still snoring away, ignorant of the god of death's presence. "Makes you happy, I cannot help but to approve. But I came here to warn you. Mortals are fragile. You are fragile. The story 'Robert' told rang of truth. You are demigods, cursed with danger for the rest of your lives. Just because you are my son, does not mean I can give any special treatment. If someone dies, they will join me, no matter who they are."

Nico stayed silent.

"The girl, Gracie, has joined me. I made sure you felt the weight of her death, the pain, to ensure you knew what it felt like. After... after Bianca, I wondered if you would ever care for others again. But then you surprised me, going to aid your friends time after time again. I began to think maybe you forgot what it was like to lose someone, and I feared if you began to care, and something happened, that you would break. I wished to make sure you know what you are doing."

Nico almost laughed. "Me? Forget what it was like to have Bianca taken from me? The only person I had at the time? I will never forget that pain. Never."

"Then how do you learn to love again?" Hades asked. "Do you not fear the pain it will bring?"

"Of course I do! But I learn becuase I can't survive on my own anymore. I don't have to. I have people who are willing too protect me, and I'm more than willing to protect them."

"There is no such thing as love without sacrifice, Nico."

"I know. But I want to love again. It's what Bianca would want. It's what Hazel wants, and I think it's what you want too. Look, I appreciate what you are trying to do, dad. But I will protect those I love. Especially Will. I swear on river Styx." Nico finished, taking a deep breath.

Hades studied Nico in silence. "Then your fate is sealed. You shall live what days you have left in happiness, rather than the longer time out would have had alone. Now go back to bed, before your lover wakes." With that, Nico's vision faded to darkness.

There were two things Nico remembered before everything faded to darkness. His father, the god of death and the underworld, saying "I've never been so proud to call you my son." And Nico's own reply.

"It might take some time, but I will learn to love again. And I swear on everything holy and unholy that is known, I will protect those I love with my life."