King of My Miserable Life

Chapter 19

Nico sat on the bed, watching Will as he moved about the room. "What?"

"It's just...different." Will went to the window and looked outside. "It's so cool to be in America. It's so different than Cartia."

"It's just a bedroom, Will." Nico sat criss-cross. "Come here, your pacing makes me nervous."

"Right, sorry." Will sat on the bed beside Nico. He moved his hand to Nico's, smiled when the pale boy didn't pull away. "Nico? Can I ask you a question?"

Nico nodded.

"Well...okay, this sounds bad. But hear me out." Will gripped onto Nico as if he was afraid the other boy would leave him. "Sometimes, you're all about telling people I'm your boyfriend, like in the kitchen with Percy's mom. But other times I'm pretty sure you'd hit me for saying the word boyfriend. I was just wondering why."

Nico sat in silence for some time, his eyes focused on his bare feet. Just when the atmosphere almost broke from tension, he looked back to Will with guilt in his eyes. "I'm sorry...if I made you feel bad..."

"You didn't make me feel bad." Will still wore his same smile. "I'm just wondering why, is all. So I know what you're comfortable with."

Nico leaned against Will. "Honestly? It always changes. Some days I wake up and I think, 'hey, I'm going to be myself. I won't give a shit about what anyone says.' And I don't. Other days, I give a shit about what people say."

Will nodded. "What about when we're alone?"

"What about it?"

"Are you okay with...with all the things I do?" Will's cheeks turned red. "Like I kiss you a lot and hug you and cuddle and-"

"That's affection," Nico stated. "I didn't like it at first but I don't want you to stop it."

Will grinned. "So you like it."

"I wouldn't go that far." Nico couldn't help but smile. "Come on, Will, you know me. Have I ever stopped you before?"

Will shook his head.

"Exactly." Nico wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "So relax. I've been fine with everything you've done."

Will laid his head on Nico's, breathed in the scent of his shampoo. "Nico...?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I...um..." Will blushed darker. "Can I...lock the door-"

"Nico, Will." Percy walked into the room before Will could finish his question. "Dinner's done."

Nico looked to Percy, able to feel how red his cheeks were. "We're coming."

Percy looked between them. "Did I interrupt something?"

"Percy, go out." Nico gestured for him to leave, his face burning. "Please."

"Fine, fine." Percy held his hands up in surrender. "She made her famous lasagna. I wouldn't take too long if I was you." He left but didn't close the door, leaving Nico and Will (mostly) alone.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Will had been gripping onto his hair, his head in his hands. "I shouldn't have asked that. It was inappropriate."

"So?" Nico poked the side of his head. "Stop pouting and look at me."

Will looked up at him reluctantly. "What?"

Nico scratched the back of his neck, not having lost the red hue to his cheeks. "Um...I was actually going to say yes, if Percy hadn't come in."

Will's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Really." Nico cleared his throat. "So, um...don't feel bad..."

"Yeah...right." Will glanced around. "So..."

"...dinner?"

"Yeah...dinner."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sally looked between the two boys she raised, felt the change that had occurred within them. They weren't who she sent off to Cartia, whether they realized it or not.

They had changed, and she wasn't sure if it was for the better.

"Okay, so Annabeth is a servant." Percy started, his mouth full. He was more than happy to answer her question about what his girlfriend was like. "Loves books. Steals them from the library because Hades is an ass and won't let her have any."

"Percy..."

"It's okay, I don't take offense." Nico smiled at Sally. "I call Hades an ass, too."

Sally sighed. "Okay, Percy, continue."

"She went to the ball with me." Percy continued to ramble on. "She wore a blue dress. My favorite color exactly. I kept stepping on her feet but she taught me how to dance better and then we went and watched movies and ate ice cream and..."

Sally listened, giving him a smile. She wanted to meet this girl, wanted to meet the girl that made her son so happy.

But as she listened, she could feel the darkness radiating off of Nico. There was something wrong, something she couldn't quite place. Something that was bothering him deep in his bones.

Something that hadn't existed before he moved to Cartia.