He Loves Me?

7

After that particular incident, Nico never saw Will more than a few metres away, and if he had to go somewhere he made sure Nico knew where he was. Nico just rolled his eyes every time Will had one of his 'mother hen' fits. He saw the world in black, white, and grey, after his little 'incident' and could tell Will was beating himself up about it, but he didn't know what to say to him. Maybe his world was doomed to be colourless.

At the moment Will was out getting lunch. Nico felt surprisingly lonely, but he brushed it off as tiredness. He was bored. So he did the only thing a bored person would do, he went to find food. The smell of brisket lured him into the dining pavilion, and he loaded a plate with meat and fries. He sat down at the Hades table when a loud shriek interrupted his eating.

"Nico Di Angelo!" Yelled Will. "What are you doing out of bed?!"

The chattering went silent. Nico hated being in the centre of attention, so he jut shrugged and went back to eating. Slowly the talk resumed as Will made his way over to the Hades table.

"What do you think you are doing?" He hissed. "Your three days aren't up yet!"

Nico wasn't listening, he was focused on the fact that Will effing Solace was sitting at his table and people were whispering and he was leaning really close. Nico blushed. Will stopped talking. He raised an eyebrow.

"Are you blushing?"

"No." Nico snapped, as he willed his cheeks to dull down from their current beetroot-like state.

"You're blushing!"

"No I'm not." He growled.

Will smirked.

"Yeah, well tell that to your cheeks. Anyway," he continued. "Back on subject."

His voice turned deadly.

"I can bring you food, now get back into bed."

Nico rolled his eyes. To avoid creating a scene he headed back to the infirmary, Will right behind him. He followed him all the way back. He forced Nico into bed and curled up in the plastic chair to keep him company. Like a cat. Thought Nico.

"What are you doing?" He said. "It's only lunch time."

Will yawned.

"I haven't had any sleep in the past 48 hours, Nicholas, I'm tired."

"My name isn't Nicholas." Nico scowled.

"Who's to say?" Will replied sleepily.

"Me."

But Will had fallen asleep.

Nico couldn't stop staring at the way his cornsilk hair fell into his eyes, and his cheekbones caught the sun as it lowered into the horizon. He shook himself. Will was a good friend, he thought as he too, fell asleep.

-x-x-x-

Will woke up at dusk. Nico was still sleeping, and he would like to keep it that way. He crept out of the infirmary, only stopping to brush a lock of hair off his face. For medical reasons, he thought. I'm checking his temperature. But maybe not.

He made his way to the archery ranges, wanting to do something different. Even if he wasn't good at it. Grabbing a bow and quiver, he set up a hay dummy at the edge of the woods. He drew back his bowstring and let loose an arrow. Miss. He tried again. Miss. Hanging the bow back up in disgust, Will decided he may as well go back and check on the son of Hades - as he handing developed a hidden talent for archery.

Nico was awake, as far as Will could tell. He was sitting up in bed, deathly pale, and his eyes hollow and cold. His hair framed his face, hiding it. As Will drew closer he noticed a shiny tear trail down the boy's cheek. His forehead creased and he knelt beside the bed.

"Nico?" He murmured.

Nico turned to him.

"Do you think Bianca is happy?" He whispered.

His fist clenched. Will's heart broke just a little further.

"Of course, Nico. Why wouldn't she be?"

He didn't answer. So Will drew him in to an awkward hug. At first Nico was stiff in his arms, but then he relaxed the tiniest bit. Will felt a small drop wet his collarbone.

"She'd be so proud of you." He said.

As Will hugged him, Nico thought of how Percy wasn't perfect, this boy of sunlight wasn't either, but Will was beautifully flawed. He let silent tears soak into his collar bone. He bought Nico toast. And he curled up in a hard plastic chair beside him and didn't flinch at Nico's touch.

Maybe he could be happy here.