The Sun's Promise

Chapter 1

Nico's POV

Walking back to Will, I couldn't help but think of the look on Percy's face when I told him about my old crush on him. It was priceless. I couldn't help but smile a little.

"What did you happen to talk about? I don't think I've ever seen you this happy before." Will chided.

"Can it, Will." I laughed.

"Hey, I'm just saying! It suits you," Will motions for me to follow him, "But good mood or not, I'm still having you stay at the infirmary, and no buts."

I was about to object but was interrupted by a group of both Roman and Greek children of Ares/Mars who came whooping past us. Will shook his head and opened the door to the infirmary, letting me go in first.

"Here, go sit on the cot by the wall, I'll be back in a second." Will disappeared around the corner.

Well, here goes nothing, I thought. Sitting on the cot, I looked at my hands. They were paler than usual, and almost just a little transparent. Frowning, I put my hands under my thighs.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

I jumped. I hadn't even noticed Will had come back.

"Oh, well, I um. . ." I thought back to my discussion with Reyna, and how she said that sometimes while it feels better to hide, its sometimes better to talk about it.
"I just, I feel nervous. Back when I stayed here before, the other campers would always forget about me, talk when they thought I couldn't hear, and just generally pushed me away. I-I'm a little worried it might happen again. I'm finally feeling a little better, and I do not want this to go away." I looked at the wall and felt my face get warm. I'm so not used to doing this.

"Nico," Will sits down beside me,"Listen. It's okay. I wish I talked more when you were first here, but lets try and put that to the past. I am here now, and so are you. We will start anew, and I will do everything in my power to make sure you are welcomed here. This is your home now." He sits up and sits on a stool in front of me and smiles.

"Now let me see your hands, please."

I slowly bring them out from under my thighs and put them in his hands. I look down at our hands and grimace at the big contrast of tan to deathly pale skin. He turns my hands over and tsks.

"Could you lay down and remove your shirt?"

Woah, okay, did not expect that. Taking of my shirt, I set it on the ground and lay back. Will stands over me and checks for wounds. After treating my scratches from Lycaon, he handed me my shirt. After putting it on he hands me some nectar and ambrosia.

"Thanks." I say.

He nods in response. Nibbling on the ambrosia, I lean against the wall and look at Will while he's cleaning up supplies and putting things away. His skin is tan, like, something out of a surfer movie tan. His hair is also beach blond and his eyes are blue. He's cute. He walks out of the room and I set the finished glass and extra ambrosia on the end table. I lay down on the cot and yawn, Will then enters the room again and says,

"I have to go out and help the others with the injured. If you need me at all, ask someone around and they should get me."

I nodded in response and turn onto my side. Will lingers for a few seconds before walking out and shouting back,"Remember, no Underworldly business! Good night!" I blacked out as soon as I closed my eyes.