Nico's POV
Will had been struggling, bad. He had lost three patients in a row and had to rely on mortal medicine to help him sleep, and every once in a while while he slept, he would wake in a cold sweat. I tried to help him, telling him how the heroes were doing in the underworld, making sure he knew that they didn't blame him, none of that helped though, he was still shaken up and jumpy.
I laid in my bed with him and pet his hair softly, he had just woken from another nightmare. I used the techniques that he used on me, rubbing circles on his back, giving him soft kisses, and telling him everything was gonna be alright.
"I killed them, Nico. It's my fault," he whispered through tears.
I shook my head, slowly sitting up and bringing his head onto my lap. I stroked his hair and held one of his hands.
"No, you did everything you could Will, they are happy now, they don't feel any more pain."
Will slowly sat up and I pulled his large but fragile frame into my arms, humming a soft lullaby to him. He started sobbing again, crying into the crook of my neck. I kissed his forehead and placed my hand in his again.
"It's okay sunshine, it's okay," I whispered.
"I'm sorry Nico, I don't know what's wrong with me," Will said in a choked voice after many minutes of silence.
I looked into his sky blue eyes and sighed "nothing's wrong with you Will, you're upset, and you have a right to be. I'm just glad that I get to help you for a change."
He smirked a little and looked down at our hands.
"I could have bought them more time, my hands, my hands are why they're dead."
I shook my head and clicked my tongue, "no no no, Will that's not your fault. Your hands have done so much good, they've saved me countless times."
I brought his hands to my mouth and kissed them, Will looked at our hands, so did I. His were at least a third bigger than mine and there was a strong difference in the skin tones, mine was a soft olive tan and his was a more cinnamon colored tan. His hands had freckles covering the tops and his fingers. Those were the hands that had saved me from drowning, from overworking myself, and from all of my emotions.
He slowly got up and headed to the small pile of clothes that he had brought over.
Will's eyes dropped, he was finally tired. He slowly lifted his shirt and sluggishly changed his pants into soft capris. He then returned to my bed and laid down in front of me. After he fell asleep I pet his hair, it was sweaty from his nightmare but still soft.
As I went to pull the blanket over him I noticed little marks on his ankles that had previously been covered by his socks.
I got closer, finding that they were small parallel lines that had been cut into his skin but were in the process healing. I fought back tears, he had felt the need to do that to himself, something I had felt after I lost Bianca and continuing for three years. I pulled the blanket over Will and I, hugging him tight and crying softly.
My beautiful, perfect, dork of a boyfriend felt like he wasn't worthy of living. He had been the last person I would have expected to feel like that.
I cursed myself for not noticing, for not checking, for not worrying about that.
I rested my head in the crook of his neck and hugged him tight, determined to never let go.
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Will's POV
When I woke up I could feel Nico completely wrapped around me, he was holding on tighter than usual. He had fallen asleep with his lips pressed against my shoulder, which was comforting.
I looked down at our feet, Nico's legs were tangled with mine and our feet were resting against one another.
I felt a sudden rush of terror, my feet, my ankles, he had noticed. I felt the bile build up in my throat, I hadn't meant for him to ever see those.
Nico pulled me closer in his sleep, whimpering slightly "please don't go."
I felt even more guilty than ever, he was the one good thing I still had and he thought I was leaving him.
I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him, trying to wake him.
When he finally opened his eyes he gripped my back and laced his tongue into my mouth, then a few moments later he pulled away.
"I'm sorry I didn't notice Will, I'm so sorry," he said gently.
"Don't be sorry Nico, I'm sorry. I should have realized that I still had you, I'm sorry I did that."
He smiled and kissed me again, a little less desperate and more passionate.
"I love you William," he whispered.
I smiled for the first time in a while and hugged him once again.
"I love you too Neeks."
