King of My Miserable Life

Chapter 18

The days passed, the weeks went by. Nico got used to the castle and could (mostly) navigate it on his own. He spent most of his time with Will, kept close to the boy that always made him happy. Percy spent his time with Annabeth, talked to her and helped her with her work. By Thanksgiving time, everything seemed peaceful.

"You're...what?" Will asked, his hand gripping onto Nico's. "What do you mean?"

"We're just visiting my adoptive parents," Nico explained for the hundredth time. "I'll be back, okay? I'll be back. It's just for a week."

Will refused to let him go. "Yeah, but..."

"I'll be back, Will," Nico promised. "I'll be back. I've been telling you this for days."

"I know." Will sighed. "I just don't want you to go. I'll be lonely for a week."

Nico smiled. "I'll miss you, too. But it'll be okay."

Will rolled his eyes. "You idiot. You made me love you."

Nico leaned his head on Will's shoulder. "You made me love you, too... Walk me to the car? Percy and I have to go soon if we're going to make our plane."

"Promise you'll be safe?" Will asked. "You have to look out. Assassination attempts and stuff..."

"I'll be fine." Nico closed his eyes, relaxing against him. "I think dad is sending a royal guard with us."

Will perked his head up. "A royal guard?"

Nico nodded. "Yeah, for protection."

"I should go!" Will bounced. "I'm registered as one, I think. I just haven't been called to duty yet. I should go!"

"Woah there, calm yourself." Nico looked up at him. "You're registered as one?"

Will nodded. "Anyone can when they reach sixteen. They have to do regular fitness tests and stuff."

Nico cracked his neck. "I'll go ask him if you can come. Will you go tell Percy where I am?"

Will's eyes were bright in the dim hallway. "Yeah, yeah, course. God, I can't wait!"

"Get packed, too," Nico instructed. "We're leaving soon. I'll go ask him."

Will ran to his room, his blond hair bouncing as he did so. He threw his only other outfit into a bag before packing his pajamas, his hands shaking from excitement. America... He had always wanted to go. Now, with Nico, it would be a hundred times better.

Everything was a hundred times better with him.

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The plane ride was just as long as before but Nico now had Will to talk to. The blond boy looked like a baby serial killer, wearing all black along with a bulletproof vest. Knee pads, boots, an earpiece in. A gun despite the fact that that would draw even more attention. With the earpiece, he could contact the other guards that would be around the area at all times.

"I have a feeling I'll never have another private moment," Nico muttered after Will had finished explaining. "This is crazy."

"You're the only heir to the Cartian throne." Will stretched his legs out. "Planes are so cramped."

"Have you ever been in one?" Nico asked.

Will's face fell. "Once, when I was little. When...when they brought us to Cartia to sell us."

Nico frowned. "Oh...sorry for asking."

"It's okay." Will brightened up again. "It's far behind me. I'm happy now."

Nico cracked his knuckles, his eyes staring out of that window. "I am, too. Happy."

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Sally Jackson welcomed her two sons with open arms. After some crying, yelling, and a kiss on their cheeks, she let them come into the apartment. When she saw Will, she simply offered him a drink and asked him his name, not questioning that a random Cartian was at her door with a gun.

"My name's Will, ma'am." Will smiled at her. "I don't know my last name."

"Oh, that's okay." she gestured to the table, where Percy and Nico had started to attack the plate of blue cookies. "Help yourself."

"Oh, I'm okay." Will scratched the back of his neck. "I'm just here to..." He looked to Nico, wondering how much he was allowed to say. "Nico and I were...friends and they needed to send a guard with him so-"

"He's my boyfriend." Nico cut in, coming towards them. He handed Will a cookie before hugging Sally again. "He's usually a servant at the castle but apparently he's also a guard. We met the first night."

Sally smiled at them knowingly. "It's really nice to meet you, Will." She returned the hug before letting Nico go. "How long are you two staying?"

"Probably for the week." Nico shrugged. "At least until Thanksgiving night. Will has never celebrated Thanksgiving before."

"That's not my fault." Will defended. "I'm not American or Canadian."

"Don't Canadians celebrate it on a different day?" Percy pipped up.

Sally turned to look at her son. "Yeah, they do. I didn't think you..."

"Were smart? Annabeth's been making me read." Percy stuffed his mouth with more cookies. "You learn stuff."

"Annabeth?" Sally looked to Nico. "Who's Annabeth?"

"His girlfriend, Will's sister," Nico explained. "She's back in Cartia."

"Percy Jackson, you have a girlfriend and you didn't tell me?" Sally marched over to Percy. "Do you have a picture?"

Percy held up his hands in defense. "Yeah, I do. Calm down." He glared at Nico but had a hint of a smile. "Way to blurt that out, man."

Nico shrugged. "You had it coming." He looked to Will, cast him a smile. "I'll show you my room, come on."