Archive of Our Own ^beta

Nowadays it was common knowledge that Nico and Will were together.

And Percy was extremely happy for them. Will was a good kid who was loyal and kind, but also could be stern and stubborn. He’s so hellbent on making sure others are healthy that just after a month of them being friends, Nico was already looking far better than he used to. His skin was still pale but not sickly and his eye bags were lessening slightly. He started to stand straighter and have a bigger presence, he even seemed like he was finally beginning to accept himself as Percy had seen Nico walking around with a brace on his knee.

It was like actual sorcery to Percy and everyone else who has tried to at least get him to eat more.

Nico needed someone like Will, someone good for him and to him. That kid has been through more than Percy wished upon anyone and it’s left him in pain and depressed. He needs someone sunny to lift his spirits and that person was Will, it was perfect really.

Except one thing though. Percy has never seen Nico being affectionate with Will.

Not to say Will was touchy, but he seemed alright with people touching him. Except for the few times Percy has seen someone touch him when Will wasn’t looking. He was good at hiding it but he always tensed up. He downright flinched when Percy did it.

Percy has seen Will pat Nico’s head (how is he not dead?), pat his shoulder, blow him kisses, ruffle his hair, put his hands in his bomber jacket pockets (how is he not dead??), call him nicknames, and he’s even seen him rub his ankles (how is he not dead?!? ).

He probably has privileges. Either way, Will didn’t shy away from affection. Nico did not initiate anything of the sort.

I mean, he could probably understand. Maybe Nico just needs some time to get used to people? Or something like that. But after 6 months of these two dating, Percy has seen no such thing.

“So here we have gathered to get to the bottom of this. We must commence operation: Figure Out Nico’s Love Language!” Percy said determinedly.

At Zeus's Fist, Percy was surrounded by the seven Reyna; or how he’s dubbed them, “End of the World buddies.”. Annabeth sighed at Percy’s antics, looking both amused and very much like she wanted to slap him upside the head.

“Percy, I really don’t think this is necessary.” Frank said from where he was hugging Hazel to his chest. Percy harrumphed and continued as Hazel giggled at him.

“I think this is very necessary. We have to make sure Nico is doing well and that there’s nothing wrong. He’s our friend so we’ve gotta check in sometimes.” He explained. Leo piped up, “Well, I’m down for this plan, Perce!” he said, “As long as it’s crazy and gives me some juicy deets, I’m all in.”

“I think you should’ve been an Aphrodite kid. Wanna switch?” Piper asked exasperatedly. Leo laughed. “With these smoking hot looks, I’m surprised I’m not.” He said confidently. Piper only slapped his leg from where she was sitting with an amused huff..

“Anyway! We need to figure out what to do. Nico’s wellbeing is top priority after all.” Percy interrupted. Honestly, he was not the best at staying on topic, arguably the worst, but this is about Nico’s happiness so he had to do his best.

“Percy, I’m pretty sure they're fine. Need me to remind you why I made sure no one gave Will the shovel talk?” Annabeth asked. Percy already knew this one, he remembered well. “Uh, duh? ‘Will is a good guy, he wouldn’t hurt Nico cause he’s been crushing on him for a long time, and he’s too smart to do that.’” He summarized.

Annabeth made an ‘eh’ motion with her hand. “You forgot the part about how Will has given shovel talks that he could and has followed through with, I don’t think he’d intentionally make himself a hypocrite.” Well that too, but Percy honestly can’t imagine that quite well. He’ll just have to trust Annabeth’s words because she’s known Will far longer than Percy has.

“Personally, I’m not entirely opposed to this; but how are we supposed to go about it?” Jason asked. Percy hummed and thought for a second before a voice interrupted him.

“How are you supposed to go about what?”

The group all turned to the source of the voice to find the one and only Will Solace standing among the greens with a satchel over his shoulder. Quite a few of them had jumped when he spoke up because they hadn’t heard him approach.

“Uuuuhm.” Jason trailed off. Percy watched in vague awe as Will pushed his way through the bushes almost silently. That explains that. “What are you doing here?” He asked. Will quirked a brow. “Gathering herbs. You?”

Percy scrambled to come up with an excuse, but Reyna beat him to it. “Jackson gathered us here to try and figure out why he’s never seen Nico be affectionate to you, but he’s probably just incredibly invested in Nico’s love life-”

“Hey! I’m perfectly normal about this!” The faces his end of the world buddies made at him had Percy pouting.

Will blinked before he snorted out a laugh. “What are you talking about? Nico’s perfectly affectionate.”

Okay, that had them all turning to look at him. “I’ve never seen him put even a hand on your shoulder or call you anything endearing in public.” Hazel said, a little confused. Will smiled.

“Yeah, the key word there is ‘public’.” He said, gazing around before his eyes landed on a bush of berries a few feet away. He unhooked his satchel from his shoulder as he made his way there to start picking them and the leaves.

“He just doesn’t like being affectionate with people around. He’s actually very loving.” He explained. Percy’s brained ground to a halt. The only time he can recall seeing Nico being anything close to loving was when he was with Hazel. He would put his hands on her shoulders and kiss her forehead but that was it.

Then Will continued with something even more baffling. “Besides, he is affectionate in public. Just not physically or verbally.”

“I’d like to see that.” Leo said absentmindedly. Will stood up, closing his satchel and smiling at them. His smile was quiet and content, a look in his eyes so loving that Percy had half a mind to think Nico was behind them.

“You probably have, but just weren’t paying attention. Try paying attention.” He said cryptically before turning on his heel and leaving. Pushing silently through the foliage.

…Huh.

“I think I know where this is going.” Annabeth said quietly when she caught the look in Percy’s eyes.

Percy didn’t care though, he knew exactly what to do now.

… … … …

• Breakfast.

Percy, Jason and Nico were sitting at the Poseidon table chatting. Well, Nico wasn’t chatting so much as he was listening and chiming in occasionally.

Percy knew that Nico wasn’t really a conversationalist, but he could talk more than this. He normally does but something was different this time. He looked pretty distracted, glancing around every now and then after every couple of bites. Percy has tried to ask him what’s up, but Jason stopped him before he could with a shake of his head.

‘Wait’, he mouthed mutely, and as impatient as Percy was, he held back. Maybe this would lead to something interesting.

And what do you know? It did.

A few minutes before breakfast was set to end, Nico stood up from his seat and went to grab another plate. He spoke quietly to a nearby nymph and Jason and Percy watched curiously as she smiled and pulled out a regular plate from god knows where. On it were three perfectly fluffy pancakes topped with blueberries and a little butter, next to it was a small, mixed berry parfait, presented beautifully.

The nymph placed the breakfast fit for royalty on a tray and placed a decent sized glass of orange juice on it. She handed Nico a bag of berries and Nico thanked her quietly, stepping close to the hearth to toss in the bag and send a short, 10 second prayer before walking away.

Percy knew for a fact that this isn’t how you normally get the magically conjured breakfast. It just gives you what you want and you don't have to say a thing. An introvert’s dream really. So he shot up from his seat to follow Nico when he realized that he wasn’t coming back to the table with that plate of deliciousness.

Jason didn’t protest this time, seeming like curiosity finally took over and the two followed Nico. After a minute or two of walking, Nico ended up at the infirmary.

“No way.” Jason said quietly. Percy grabbed his arm and ushered him to a window that revealed Will’s office. (Yeah, he literally has an office. It was installed a long time ago when Chiron realized that Will spends most of his life in that place.)

Will was already in there. He paced the room, mumbling to himself as he went over the files in his hands. He looked tired. Like, really tired. Like he stayed up all night three nights in a row stressing over an exam. Percy knew that look well, he wore it very often.

The two demigods watched as Will jumped slightly when someone knocked on his door. “Uh…” He trailed, his brain seeming to be slow to catch up. When he took too long, the door opened up and Nico popped his head in.

“Will?” He called. Will blinked and smiled as he shook his head. “Hey Death boy. What’s up?” Nico grumbled, but looked at him long and hard before sighing and entering with the tray. Will’s brows just about shot up into his hairline at the sight.

“It’s breakfast time already?” He asked, a little manic as he looked for a clock of some kind. Nico took up the files on his desk and moved them out of the way as he placed the plate, glass and parfait on it, all perfectly aligned somehow. Man, that takes skill.

“Breakfast is basically over and you haven’t been out of here in about three days.” Nico said matter of factly, rounding the desk and pulling out the rolling chair in the most gentlemanly show of chivalry. He raised an eyebrow at the blond as if to ask what he’s waiting for.

Will sighed deeply, a sigh full of exhaustion, but he still smiled as if Nico’s presence alone gave him energy. Will wandered over and sat down, Nico pushed in the chair for him and Will began to eat.

“You know, you don’t have to do this for me, right?” Will asked, taking a sip of his drink. Nico shook his head. “I wouldn’t do anything I don’t want to Will.” He said, shadow traveling the tray away.

“You like making me breakfast?” Will asked a little teasingly. Nico huffed and didn’t reply. On the other hand Percy and Jason gaped. That explains why he got the food the way he did, he made it himself! He probably had the nymphs store it somewhere. Percy honestly didn’t even know how Nico knew how to cook, but that looked delicious and he was going to find out if he can get Nico to make him some food too because god dam .

(He internally cackled at his own joke.)

Will propped his head up with his hand and watched as Nico went about organizing his unusually messy desk just the way he liked. Color coded, neat and ready to be attended to. Nico noticed the blond’s staring and blushed, averting his eyes awkwardly.

Percy had to slap a hand over Jason’s mouth just to make sure he didn’t give them away by squealing. Then he had to do the same to himself for the same reason.

“Eat you dumbass, then finish up here and get back to your cabin.” Nico ordered. Will chuckled at him. “I can do number 1, but the others I cannot. My shift ends in 5 hours, Neeks.” He said. Nico stared at him for a few seconds before leaving the room, closing the door gently.

Will seemed perplexed by this. Percy and Jason were too, but he continued to eat anyway. He seemed quite attuned to Nico doing strange things. Relationship hazard? Probably. Jason and Percy look at each other for a few quiet moments.

“Ten drachma Nico stormed off in a very subtle way.”

“Ten drachma he went to get someone to shorten Will’s work hours.”

The two of them shook on it and turned back to peer inside, only to get twin heart attacks when they found Will staring directly at them. Percy yelped and stumbled back on his ass while Jason froze up, locked in an intense staring contest with Will, who chewed his pancakes very slowly.

Will swallowed his piece and spoke up. “This was not my idea of paying attention, but okay.” He said before turning away to finish his juice. Jason grabbed Percy’s arm and hauled them away just in time for Nico to come back inside.

At least they weren’t caught by Nico. Will would probably not tell Nico about this. Hopefully.

An hour later, Percy was practicing with his sword on a dummy in the training arena when he heard a chattering voice. He looked up and found Will and Nico strolling towards the Hades cabin. Will looked even more tired than before (probably from having such a good breakfast), but he still chattered, clapping his hands together with excitement.

Nico listened intently, watching his every move as if he were doing his best to remember the way Will looked when he was tired and happy. A small smile graced his lips and Percy swears he’s never seen him so smitten with someone.

Damn, he owed Jason ten drachma.

… … … …

• Infirmary

Hazel is familiar with Nico’s affectionate side.

She was his sister so of course she got some kind of privy to it. She enjoyed when he would kiss her forehead, or pat her back, or smile at her. Even if they were sparse and far in between, the fact that he did it at all showed how much he cared. Just that thought made Hazel incredibly happy.

So, Hazel was indescribably happy when Nico started dating Will.

She doesn’t know Will all that well. She’s seen him around of course and seen him interact with other campers. Oftentimes he looked exasperated, or amused; he didn’t seem to frown much and to her, he seemed like a good guy. Not to mention, his presence was very calming. That was honestly the deciding factor as to how she felt about him.

She had been injured on her visit to Camp Half-Blood, which was usually fine, she’d just slap a bandaid on it and let her body do the rest. That’s probably why she has so many little scars, but if it healed, it healed right?

Nope, apparently that was wrong, because she got a cut on her leg in front of her brother’s boyfriend and when she proceeded to slap a bandaid on as usual, he looked genuinely appalled and had quickly, but gently, ushered her to the infirmary.

“I’m sorry about how rude this is going to sound, but I thought you would be better than Nico at this.” Will said honestly. Oh, well oops. Honestly, Hazel doesn’t think people realize a lot of the time that she is also a traumatized demigod and that she and Nico are siblings. Of course she has similar failings in self-preservation.

“One would think.” She says absently as she is nudged to sit on a cot. It wasn’t a big injury, but it was definitely a little deep. It would scar if left alone. Will examined it before sighing and calling out over his shoulder.

“Nico!”

Nico popped his head out from another room about 5 seconds later; alert and then surprised when he made eye contact with Hazel. She was also surprised to see him, mostly because it seemed like he was working in the infirmary. She hadn’t expected that.

“Hazel? What happened?” Nico asked, briskly walking over to her and scanning her for the wound until he found it on her leg. His worry was obvious with the purse of his lips and the furrow of his brows and the obvious show of concern made Hazel’s heart all a flutter. She really loved her brother.

“It’s not that bad to be honest.” She reassures him. Her words erased the purse from his lips but his brows were still furrowed, looking almost disdainfully at the cut on her leg. That quickly stopped when Will smoothed out the creases with his pointer finger and thumb, pushing Nico back at the same time, which caught him off guard.

“Like she said, nothing to worry about, Neeks. Though I do wish she didn’t try to just slap on a bandaid and go on her merry way.” He said, before Nico could give her a look for that, Will made eye contact with him to trap his gaze. Nico tensed up, not out of fear or shock or anything like that though. He almost seemed… flustered.

Hazel had to hold back a laugh. Realizing that Nico was flustered about making eye contact with Will, his boyfriend!

“Can you get me some disinfectant, cotton swabs, anti-inflammatory cream, bandages and medical tape, please?” Will asked, tilting his head sweetly and Nico barely finished his nod before he was scurrying away for the requested supplies.

Hazel gave Will a smirk that he returned in kind.

“You have him wrapped around your finger.”

“I do, it’s true.”

The two laughed about it until Nico got back. He looked highly confused when they wouldn’t explain what they were laughing about. Still, he had everything Will needed, so the healer washed his hands, snapped on a pair of gloves and got to work.

The disinfectant stung, but Will was so gentle with it that she wasn’t worried at all, he always let the sting die down before continuing. The cream was soothing and cool on her skin and she sighed happily at the feeling which earned her a chuckle from the healer. The bandaging wasn’t too tight and not too loose then he was done. It took him less than 10 minutes.

The whole time Nico busied himself with something nearby, surely watching the two of them converse as Will bandaged up her leg. Every time she looks his way though, even if it was glaringly obvious that he was looking, he’d turn back around and pretend that he wasn’t like he hasn’t been looking into the same cupboard for the past couple of minutes. It was honestly adorable. Will started doing it too just to see how many times it would take before Nico realizes that they know he’s looking. So far, they’ve looked at him 18 times.

“There.” Will announced, gently patting the now properly taken-care-of-cut. “Just keep this on until morning and when you take it off pour this,” Will hands her a vial of nectar. “onto it slowly. You'll be good as new, no scar in sight.”

Hazel grinned. “Thank you!” She cheered, wrapping her arms around his neck to hug him gratefully. That’s one of the many differences between her and her brother, it seems. She loves physical affection no matter who it was with. Just as long as they’re nice, and Will is definitely very nice.

Will laughed and wrapped his arms around her upper back, hugging her as well. He was so warm and soft, like a little sun wrapped in a blanket. He held her so nicely and yet so tightly, as if she really deserved this hug. Which wow, this is probably one of the nicest hugs she’s had in a very long time. Hazel turns to look at Nico, who looks away and to the cupboard where he pretended to be searching for something.

“Nico.”

“Hm?”

“Can I cuddle with your boyfriend?”

“What?”

Nico turned to look at Hazel in confusion. Will on the other hand, burst out laughing. His laughter reverberated through Hazel’s head, which was laid on his collarbone. Absent-mindedly, he started to run a hand through her hair, careful with the tight curls and untangling knots without breaking a single strand.

“Nico, I might never be the same. This is the best hug I’ve ever had in my life.” Hazel said, burying just a little further into the warmth and the hand on her hair. Nico quirked a brow but he was clearly fighting back a smile.

“You don’t have to ask y’know. Not me at least.” Hazel cheered quietly, looking up at Will with the silent question in her eyes. Will smiled down at her, amused and fond at her clear enjoyment.

“You definitely don’t have to ask me, Hazel.”

Her whole day has been made. She might have to get Nico to marry Will just so she could get these hugs. Whelp, when you’re a demigod you can never get hitched too young!

(She’s pretty sure she used that term right. 1 point for Hazel, 0 points for The Modern World.)

… … … …

• September

Annabeth hates the cold. Like, she really doesn’t like it.

She also hates when people say ‘kind of hate’. At that point just say dislike. That’s not the problem right now though.

Outwardly she doesn’t give much of an opinion on it, but she’s from the south damnit! The sun calls her name! Still, she has important things to be doing, like figuring out how to reconstruct cabin 13. This project was Nico cashing in a favor from Annabeth and honestly? She couldn’t be happier.

It was good that Nico was finally trying to settle down. Get comfortable at camp and make it a home for himself. If that has to start with him totally recreating the cabin, then that was fine. Annabeth did wish that it wasn’t in September, but sacrifices, y’know?

It was lunch time and Annabeth found herself sitting next to Nico, trying to figure out what kind of structure he wanted his new cabin to look like. Nico was a bit clueless about architecture, but the good thing was that he had a mix of a homey and classy taste, which Annabeth doesn’t get to work with often, but she could totally respect it.

“You want double doors?” She asked, sketching out on her blueprints the layout. Nico nodded. “Yes, and if you can, a bathroom? Off to the side. I don’t like public bathrooms.” Annabeth nodded, that combo was basically guaranteed for all the newer cabins so she had already been making space for it. Generally, he seemed to want to have space in the cabin, enough for him and Hazel when she visits and, if Annabeth was guessing right, (and she knew she was right) Will.

There would be no other reason for Nico to want enough space for king sized beds, a desk area, some good windows that were sure to let in plenty of sunlight and big wardrobes and drawers if he wasn’t planning on making sure Will was also comfortable in there.

Of course the wardrobes and drawers could just be for him, but Nico was a minimalist, he never seems to need more than necessary and is completely comfortable with that. Will definitely likes to have multiple of a lot, more on the maximalist side. They’ll balance each other out.

For some time, they sit there talking, Annabeth rambling on about the structure and how she can make it work, while Nico gives his own input and preferences. Which was hard to get him to do at first because he was a bit self-conscious about asking for too much, but with her encouragement and enthusiasm, he was into it without a second thought.

They took a small break to at least try and finish their food before lunch ended. However Annabeth couldn’t help but keep drawing as she did so. So, she missed it when Nico paused as his eyes wandered to the Apollo table. She didn’t miss it when he stood up and made his way over though. She watched as he approached their table and started a quiet conversation with Will who looked… down.

Oh, right.

Annabeth would say she was good friends with Will. He was probably one of her first really good friends at camp when they were younger. They don’t talk much anymore, with the both of them always being so busy, but she still regarded him highly, and still saw him as a good friend.

As good friends do, she still remembers what he told her years ago around this time of the year.

Nico came back with a deep frown on his face, worried eyes wandering back to the Apollo table where three campers looked like wilting sunflowers. They weren’t even facing the sun like usual  (yes that is a subconscious thing they do. No, no one knows why). Annabeth looked at him, a bit sad, but understanding of his distraught.

“Is this your first time seeing it?” She asked. Nico looked back at her with furrowed brows and pursed lips. “What.. am I seeing exactly? They look so…”

“Depressed? Drained? Like a low battery?”

Nico hummed affirmatively, eyes now staring unashamedly at them. “It’s an Apollo kid thing.” She started to explain, bringing his attention back to her. “Around this time, as it gets cooler and there is less sun out, they start to… wilt I guess. They get paler, more tired, and sadder. It’s basically seasonal depression. The colder they are, the worse they feel.”

Nico seemed to understand. “That’s why they’re all bundled up?” Annabeth nodded. “It’ll only get worse as the time goes by, it’s the worst in December, but it stops by the end of January.” She explained.

Nico took in this information and started to stand up again. “You don’t mind if I…” She shook her head and Nico nodded his thanks before running off into the nearest shadow of a tree and disappearing. Well, she might as well get back to the blueprint.

… … … …

Annabeth didn’t see Nico again until dinner time. He wasn’t empty handed either.

From the large platter he was holding in his hands, Annabeth could tell he was just coming back from the kitchen. His stride was brisk and determined as he beelined for the Apollo table, where its three residents were sitting next to each other, huddled up for warmth rather than trying to get their food.

The three of them startled when Nico all but appeared in front of them, placing the covered plattered in front of them.

“Nico?” Will asked quietly, far quieter than he usually speaks, which seemed to spur the son of Hades on more. Nico greeted him back and took the cover off the platter, shocking the children of the sun. A hot lasagna that looked like it came right out of the oven sat in front of them, steam coming off it in waves and making them perk up.

“Woah!” Kayla exclaimed, eyes shining and mouth almost watering at the delicious meal in front of them, barely taking notice as Nico put down plates and cutlery in front of them. He didn’t stay for long though, instead he was dashing back in the direction of the kitchen.

Kayla and Austin wasted no time in serving out their portions, but Will still sat there shocked at the huge, hot meal set in front of them. He sat there frozen, long enough for Nico to get back with three different hot chocolates on a tray for them. Again he didn’t stay, but instead he ran off to his cabin next.

The whole time, Annabeth was just watching this with amusement and fondness at Nico’s antics. Sometimes she forgot how much of a boy he was. She also often forgot that deep down, he was a boy who liked to please, and felt intensely. So what did he do with that affection? Gifts, it seems.

He came back with a box. A brown, nondescript box that could’ve had anything inside. He opened it and pulled out blankets from it.

“I saw these in a store and they are apparently heating blankets. I didn’t even know they made those. But, I got some for you.” He said, as if explaining would downplay what he’s just done.

Kayla and Austin shouted their thanks and gratitude through stuffed mouths full of lasagna when Nico gave them their blankets. They honestly looked like they could start crying out of joy. Will stared at Nico for a long time though, to the point that while Nico looked worried. He placed the blanket over his shoulders and turned it on.

“Is that… better?” He asked in uncertainty. Will blinked, once, twice and then he was dragging Nico down and flipping the blanket over their heads. Nico let out a yelp and Will only kept him under there for a few seconds before seeming to let go and Nico went flailing backwards, out from under the blanket. His face was blazing red and he was gaping, staring off into the distance in a daze.

“You’re an angel, Neeks.” Will said, grabbing his flabbergasted attention. “Thank you.” He said with enough sincerity it was almost painful. Nico looked like he was only a few seconds away from vibrating out his skin, but instead he gaped like a fish before stuttering out, “ S-solo mangi– j-just eat your damn food, Solace.” and averting his eyes.

Will leaned back against him for a moment, cuddling into the blanket and Nico before moving to get his share before his siblings eat it off, smiling brightly as he did so. That seemed about as much as Nico could take as he hurriedly scurried off to his cabin.

Annabeth couldn’t help the wheeze she let out as he ran away. She basically busted a gut when Malcom said, “Fuck me , where do I get myself a son of Hades?” and her siblings, who were also watching the spectacle, all started to agree.

(Annabeth saw Will scurrying off to the Hades cabin and let himself inside, she didn’t say a word.)

(And if the next day, Nico looked like he was in La la land with Will cuddled up to his side the whole time, with a self satisfied look on his face, she didn’t say a word.)

… … … …

• Collecting/Gifts

Piper, Nico and Jason were doing a supply run.

Funny thing is, this is the first time Piper and Jason have been on a supply run so they were quite clueless on what to do at first. They listened to Chiron as he briefed them on what to do, like getting all the receipts, taking only one of the camp’s vans and not taking too long etcetera. Chiron said that they would be assigned with someone who has already been on multiple supply runs.

That person was apparently Nico, because when they got up to Thalia’s tree, he was already there with Chiron and the van they would take, discussing the things on the list. Jason cocked his head to the side, a little surprised.

“Nico, you’ve been on supply runs?” Nico turned to him and nodded. “Plenty of times. Mostly with Will.” Ah, that would explain it. Wherever Will went, Nico tended to follow and vice versa. Sometimes they are just inseparable.

So, the three of them got in the van, with the list of stuff they were going to get, the camp card and hope that they wouldn’t run into any monsters. Although none of them said that last part out loud, lest some god decided to have the great idea of sending monsters their way anyway.

They went to the pharmacy first. Getting medical supplies was always the first priority for supply runs for obvious reasons. Jason and Piper mostly just followed Nico around as they didn’t know what they were looking for besides just the names, Nico was the one piling bottles of mortal medicine into the basket, mumbling to himself the whole time.

“I feel strangely like a duckling.”

“You and me both, Pipes.”

After that, they went to four more pharmacies for stuff that wasn’t in the previous ones or just to get more of one thing without draining out one store’s stock. Then they went to the mall, much to Nico’s dismay. Piper thrived here though, so he just handed her the list and now it was Piper leading the way.

“Do you go on supply runs often?” Jason asked Nico, who looked quite like he might kill himself for just stepping into this colorful store. “Mhm. Sometimes they take a while, but I like to get out of camp every now and then.” He explained.

“Couldn’t you do that with shadow travel?” Jason asked. Nico gave him a deadpanned look, raising a brow as if to say ‘you just asked a really stupid question that you should have the answer to’. Jason feels incredibly stupid because he comes up with the answer ten minutes later in a shoe store.

“Oh. Will.” Nico shrugged. “Mainly, but Chiron said that there are a few people who would panic if I left unannounced but…” He still has a bit of a hard time believing that. Jason can’t blame him for that, so he lets it go. Of course though, not without a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder and a “I would be very scared”. Nico didn’t say a thing but the look on his face told Jason that he appreciated his words.

So on they went. That would’ve been that if Nico didn’t stop disappearing though.

Jason hadn’t even noticed that he would wander off sometimes until he realized once that Nico was gone. His first instinct was to panic and get Piper’s attention who also looked distressed when she realized that Nico was gone. This is exactly the thing Nico must’ve been talking about when he said some people would be worried if he disappeared unannounced.

So they looked around for him for around ten minutes, worry and panic increasing as the time ticked on until–

“What are you guys doing?”

Piper yelped and smacked Nico over the head with one of her bags. One of the ones full of shoes to be exact. Nico grunted in pain, crouching down to hold the back of his head in pain.

“Oh shit– I’m sorry!” Piper apologized, kneeling down to check the bump that was no doubt forming on his head. Nico waved her off, voice a bit strained as he assured her that he would be fine. Jason could barely resist the urge to laugh, but he had some scolding to do first. Man, this must be how Will felt whenever Nico used to disappear. The only difference was that Jason saw Nico as a brother.

“Where did you go? You just vanished.” Jason asked, a huffines in his voice that was toned with disappointment. Nico blinked and just stared at Jason for some time.

“I did tell you. You just didn’t hear me.”

“Uuh…” Jason trailed off. Okay, that was his fault then. The three of them looked between each other, a little unsure for a bit before Piper cleared her throat, deciding to be the one to move them past this. Thank the gods for Piper even though she was giving him the stink eye.

“Anyways, where did you go?” The daughter of Aphrodite asked. Nico pursed his lips and averted his eyes. “Nowhere important.” He said. Piper raised a brow at him and the two stared each other down for a few seconds. To be honest, Jason was not following at all and he was very confused by the series of expressions they were giving each other. However, he was fairly certain that he wouldn’t understand even if they were actually talking.

“Nowhere important to you.” Nico finally said, relenting. Piper gave him a smug look and an ‘Mhm’, looking quite proud of herself while Nico looked a bit bashful with a scowl on his face. Yeah, Jason still isn’t following but he feels that he doesn’t need to ask.

So they continued on and 4 hours later they were heading back to camp (with Piper driving).

When they got back, everything they bought was organized and brought to either the assigned cabin or the infirmary. The first to greet them was Will of course. He was mainly the one who kept the infirmary organized so unloading and stocking was under his jurisdiction.

Jason couldn’t help but peek over at them, watching them talk and unload their haul. He watched Nico pause, grab Will’s attention and then dig into the pocket of his jacket, pulling out a small green iridescent stone. Or actually, maybe it was a gem of some sort. Where Nico got that, he doesn’t know.

Nonetheless, Will looked ecstatic when Nico gave it to him, looking at it with wonder. Will turned his gaze back to Nico and kissed him on the forehead. Jason couldn’t hear what he said, but whatever it was, it had Nico stumbling over his words and flushing.

Jason jumped when Piper placed her hand on his shoulder, laughing at him while he looked down, embarrassed to have been caught looking when he probably shouldn’t have. “Nosey.” Is all she said while flicking the tip of his nose; and yeah, Jason deserved that.

Still though, the two of them together were very cute.

… … … …

• Protection

The one thing Reyna hadn’t been expecting on her visit to camp was to be caught up in a monster attack as a result of new demigods being brought to camp.

But she was in the middle of it now, and she’d be damned if she didn’t do something to help. The attacking monsters were a group of dracanae. They couldn’t get into the camp, but now that they’ve found it, the campers can’t leave until they kill them. Not to mention, the demigods and satyr they had been chasing down were badly injured and even this close to camp they wouldn’t escape until there was some kind of intervention.

Dracanae were annoying to deal with. Hard to kill? A bit, but after fighting for as long as she has and everywhere she has been, they’re more of an annoyance. Besides they don’t have any armor or weapons, probably just rogues. Currently, Reyna found herself defending one of the injured unclaimed. The little girl was crying and losing blood quickly from the wound on her arm.

“I need a medic!” Reyna yelled into the fray. She wasn’t sure if anyone could even spare their time to come and get the girl to the infirmary. It wasn’t a small group they were dealing with after all. She herself can’t even find the time to try and wrap the demigod’s arm with how many there were. Where did so many of them come from anyway?

Reyna grunted, using her sword to hold off the claws of one that roared in her face. Ugh, these things seriously need mouthwash. The girl screamed in fear behind her, but Reyan managed to push it back and slice off its head.

“I NEED A MEDIC!” She screamed, even if it could be fruitless. Luckily, it wasn’t.

“Reyna!” She whipped her behind her and found Will running up to her with his first aid kit. She sighed in relief when he reached, sliding down to the little girl and getting to work. Sadly, looking back was her mistake, within the next second, she found herself flying into a tree, away from the now defenseless duo.

Reyna coughed, spitting out a wad of blood. Her back was searing with pain, but she pushed aside her own instinct to double over to stab her sword into the ground and stand. When she looked up, the dracanae was looming over Will and the unclaimed girl. It hissed at the medic who didn’t bother to look back, he only focused on staunching the wound on the girl and keeping her from seeing the monster behind them.

“Fuck!” Reyna cursed, trying her best to run back to them on shaky legs, but she knew she wouldn’t make it in time. The dracanea raised its claws and swiped down. Through blurry vision and a pounding in the back of her head (probably a concussion), she watched as Will grabbed the girl and just barely dove out of the way, earning himself one hell of a gash on his leg on the way.

Will covered his patient with a tight grasp, feeding her a piece of ambrosia all while he stared down the beast who stalked towards them. Reyna moved quicker, hoping and praying that Will’s evasion would give her time, but she was moving too slow, she wasn’t going to get there no matter what she did and no one could spare themselves to help. Fuck, they were going to die.

When the dracanae stood to its full height, casting a shadow over the pair, something came out from those shadows.

That something was a stygian iron sword.

The sword pierced the beast through the bottom of the jaw and it shrieked in pain. Not even a few seconds later, Nico appeared from out of its shadow, grabbing hold of the hilt of his sword and dragging it down and down and down until he split the beast’s front in two. The dracanae turned to dust, but Nico couldn’t careless.

Using what remained of its shadow before it could fully disappear, he grabbed Will and shadow traveled the three of them off the field. It all happened so quickly that Reyna almost thought she hallucinated it, but that’s probably the concussion talking. Still, when she realized that they were gone, she let out a relieved sigh.

Despite that, she couldn’t rest until this was all over. So with a grimace of pain, she turned and stabbed the beast that dared to think it could catch her by surprise.

… … … …

After all was said and done, Reyna’s first stop was the infirmary. The good thing was that no one seemed critically injured besides the new demigods, who were surely stabilized by now. The peculiar thing though was the fact that most of the cots were full, with demigods alike all seeming to be looking in one direction. Although, what they were all staring at was not the first thing to capture her attention.

Surprisingly, it was Leo. Sitting on a cot with a cast on his leg and a goofy smile on his face.

“Heya general RA-RA.” He said. Reyna scoffed at the nickname (not a good idea, her head was beating like an enhanced bass and her eyes were burning .) but addressed him anyway. “Valdez.” She greeted. “What happened to you?” The question was directed at the cast his leg was in.

“Ah, this old thing? No worries, I wasn’t even in the fight, I was trying out something Harley made from before and it blew up in my face. Tripped and crack ! My bones have divorced.”

Reyna will never not be impressed with the way Leo could describe an injury. A one of a kind talent honestly. Nonetheless she sighed and sat down on the cot next to his, feeling the dizzying pain from her concussion trying to get the better of her. 

“And that happened when?”

“This morning.”

“It’s lunch time now, what are you doing here?”

Leo snorted and shuffled back into the headboard, getting comfortable. “Heard something interesting through the grapevine. Look over there.” He said, pointing in the direction that everyone else seemed to be looking in. When she turned to look, she realized what the staring and suppressed laughter was about.

Ah. Nico was hovering around Will.

Actually, hovering was an understatement. He wasn’t letting him stand up from the chair. Nico was just standing there, right beside Will who looked fondly exasperated and not at all meeting Nico’s glare when he tried to stand up again. His leg was bandaged and probably sewn up too, and he didn’t look like he was in any pain at all, so he probably took a pain killer or ambrosia. Or both if he was feeling dangerous.

“Neeks.” Will said when Nico pushed him back into his seat. “I have things to do.” He complained. Nico was steadfast though and only huffed at him. Will huffed back at him. Truly the huffiest couple Reyna has ever seen.

“Nico.”

“What?”

“My patients .”

“Your patients that aren’t in critical condition.” Nico said, crossing his arm petulantly now. Will pursed his lips and scanned the room, and then he looked eyes with Reyna. The two blinked at each other and then Will was looking back at Nico.

“I have a new patient, Neeks. What if she’s suffering from internal bleeding and you won’t let me go over there and save her life?” Will said triumphantly as he pointed at Reyna. Reyna did not want any part of the lover’s spat, thank you very much.

Nico turned, took one look at Reyna and then turned back around to grab a piece of ambrosia and chuck it at her. Despite the concussion she was nursing, her reflexes kicked in and she caught the godly treat before it could hit her in the face.

“I don’t think anyone could manage to hurt Reyna enough to warrant internal bleeding.” He said matter-of-factly. Well, that’s a very flattering compliment actually. She couldn’t help but preen just a little bit at it. Reyna popped it in her mouth and let the familiar taste of spicy chicken flautas roll over her senses and clear up the muddling of her concussion. Too much ambrosia may be dangerous, but it sure was delicious.

Nico and Will continued to passively argue (Reyna didn’t know you could have passive arguments until this moment), uncaring for the audience they’ve proccurred in the process. It was kind of entertaining, watching as Will tried and failed to get out of his seat, and watching as Nico continued to be persistent. At some point, Will sent Nico to grab something for him just so he could get up. That didn’t last long because before he was across the room, Nico was back and hauling him to the chair.

“They bicker like an old married couple.” Reyna realized. Leo snorted. “You’ve got the old part right, mi amiga .” Reyna only shook her head at him and continued to watch the show, her concussion long gone but entirely willing to risk a new one just for this.

(In the end, they could not compromise surprisingly. Will took a borderline lethal amount of ambrosia to heal up the wound so he could get back to work. Nico could not argue after that because they knew he would’ve done the same thing.)

… … …

• Overwork

Nico has been gone for around two weeks now.

He was summoned on an errand by his father that he said would probably take him awhile, so he would be gone for a week or so. It’s been two weeks already. Everyone knows this. Now obviously, Nico is not the one who spread the word that he wouldn’t be at camp for so long because he only told the people who cared.

The person who spread this information was Will. Simply because he wouldn’t stop lamenting about his absent boyfriend. It was almost impossible to escape his miserable rants, because every other thing seemed to remind him of Nico and would result in a rant. He would go on about the color of his eyes, his favorite food, what he did a month before and funny stories. It was hilarious at first, but by the 8th day, he was genuinely getting concerned looks. How attached does someone have to be to look so sorrowful at only a two week absence?

As a daughter of Aphrodite, Piper found this hilarious still. It was right up her alley really, but she didn’t say anything. Nothing would get Will to stop his rhymes of despair except Nico himself showing up. In the meantime, Piper would enjoy the show. Right now, she’s pretty sure she’s on episode ‘Friendly Assurance’.

“It’s been thirteen and a half days .” Will grumbled, mumbling pathetically to himself as Lou Ellen patted his back. “There, there, or something.” She said sarcastically.

“Nico will be back soon man, you’ll be fine.” Cecil chimed in through a mouthful of food. Will glowered at him. “Don’t talk with food in your mouth, Cecil.” He scolded. Cecil raised his hands in surrender and tried to speed run chewing, which somehow made him take longer. Ah, the paradoxes of life.

Austin gave Will an incredulous look. “Since when did you care about that kind of thing? That’s Nico’s thing not yours.” Will despaired even further upon hearing this. Kayla on the other hand, cackled loudly.

“He’s gotta compensate for something!” Lou Ellen defended, but even that was not as good as she could’ve done, instead she was holding back laughter. “At least he didn’t call him Markowitz!” Kayla bellowed.

Will slumped forward, hiding his grin at their antics, but also still feeling a bit miserable all by himself. “I haven’t gotten cuddles in two weeks guys.”

“He gives cuddles?” Cecil asked.

“The best!”

“I didn’t even know he was a touchy feely kind of guy.” Austin pondered, slowly eating off his cereal. Will lifted his head, nodding so sagely that it had the other’s laughing at him. “Only in certain circumstances.” He said, as though he were a wise old mage.

“And those circumstances are…?” Kayla prompted. Will locked eyes with her and the two had something of a stare off full of looks and expressions that insinuated conversation. Austin seemed to be the only one who was following.

“...In his cabin with fluffy blankets.”

“That’s all?”

“And the occasional stuffy but you didn’t hear that from me.”

This garnered another round of kind-hearted laughter from the table and Piper herself had to chuckle. That is until Piper felt someone nudging her shoulder. She turned to find Lacy grinning and pointing to her left. “Look, look!” she said excitedly, and when Piper did, she was greeted with the sight of a tired Nico slowly striding to the Apollo table.

Piper smiled, glad to see him back even if he looked like he’d seen better days. He could definitely go for a couple hours of sleep, but his eyes were bright at the sight of Will, slowly making his way to his boyfriend despite looking like he definitely wanted to be sleeping. Will, bless the kid’s heart, hasn’t noticed yet.

“You’re acting like a wife whose husband was sent to war, Will. Get a grip.” Kayla teased. This did not fluster Will like she wanted it to, but it definitely flustered Nico, if him stopping his advance said anything. Will turned to Cecil who was sitting beside him.

“Mr. Markowitz!” He exclaimed dramatically, grabbing his shoulders as he did. “Oh my husband! My darling husband has been gone for oh, so long!” He shouted ridiculously, feigning sniffles to really sell the act. He was shaking Cecil back and forth and by now everyone was cackling.

“Yes, yes Mr. Di Angelo.” Nico choked where he stood. “You will be fine, your husband shall return!” Cecil exclaimed to play along. Will let go and splayed the back of his hand over his forehead, free hand gripping his shirt over his heart.

“My husband whom I love and adore so much, come back and kiss me!” Just like that, Nico was moving forward with renewed energy and determination. Before any one of them could process his presence, Nico’s hand was in Will’s hair, urging him back to look up at him.

“As you wish, marito. ” And then Nico was kissing him. Will let out a muffled sound of surprise, but did nothing except sink into it as Nico kissed him deeply and passionately right there and then without a care in the world for who saw. Will was blushing from his neck to the roots of his hair. Clearly he was caught off guard by the sudden intense PDA, but was relishing in it too.

Between the other four at the table there was a lot of yelling and scooting away and screeches of “That’s my brother! ” and “What happened to Hello, how are you!? ”. Nico didn’t give a singular damn as he went to scatter light kisses all over Will’s face, who looked more embarrassed than Piper’s seen him in a year. Without any further fanfare, Nico shifted and picked Will up off the bench (Piper forgets sometimes that Nico does in fact have muscle).

“What! Hey! I need to eat, Nico!” He yelled in protest. Nico was very clearly ignoring him to instead walk back to the Hades cabin with the son of Apollo in his grasp, still littering kisses everywhere he could reach.

Piper just sat there in shock at what she just witnessed. She was mostly glad that they weren’t like Percy and Annabeth so her retinas could at least stay mostly unbleached, but she was mainly shocked by Nico’s boldness just then. Was he really that tired to not care for decorum like usual? Or did he really miss Will that much?

“Damn. The balls on that kid.” Piper whipped her head to stare indignantly at Drew. “Please good gods, don’t say that in reference to Nico again. It sounds so wrong.” Piper almost pleaded. Drew rolled her eyes but didn’t say more. Mitchell on the other hand, had to say something too.

“That was smooth actually.” He said, looking quite impressed. Piper couldn’t even argue with that because it fucking was. She was honestly a little bit jealous. What would it take to get Jason to do that for her?

Speaking of Jason, Piper let her gaze wander over the cabin tables, searching for her friends who couldn’t possibly have not seen that. She was right of course, as they all were staring after the couple with varying degrees of shock on their faces. She wanted to laugh.

At the start of this whole thing when Percy called for that meeting in the forest, Piper hadn’t voiced it but she was already sure that the two of them were just fine in the affection department. Everyone has their own ways of showing and expressing love and that doesn't have to be apparent to anyone else. She could see the way they looked at each other as if they hung the sun and the stars.

She could see how they gravitate to one another subconsciously. She also knew that just because they don’t kiss or hold hands in public all that often like others did, it didn’t mean that they struggled to show each other love.

Yet despite all this mushy and sentimental crap; it was kind of fun to actually see it.

… … … …

1 Cabin

Will can’t help but feel giddy whenever he and Nico were alone together.

When they are alone together, Will doesn’t have to resist every urge in him screaming to hug and kiss and cuddle his boyfriend. Moreover, he isn’t even the only one to initiate anymore, at this point it was Nico who jumped on the affection train first.

He knows how Nico feels about PDA, it’s not like he wants to hide their relationship. Well, at first he did because he wasn’t sure how anyone would react, but over time, as he saw more and more people embracing themselves and as Will kept reminding him that no one would really care in the way he thinks, he started to break out of his shell.

No, he still did not initiate anything in public (except for this time apparently), but he let Will do whatever he wanted, which was telling enough because Will would admit, he could be a bit handsy. Maybe even clingy but he wouldn’t say that out loud.

Being without Nico for two whole weeks was weird, and kind of hard to be honest. He hadn’t fully realized how well Nico had fit himself into his life until he was gone for a while.

Will would be taking stock in the infirmary and when he moved to call out to Nico, asking for assistance, he remembered he wasn’t there. He paused before sitting down at the Apollo table every time, then he realized that Nico wasn’t there to stop him from sitting on the dirty bench like usual. Sometimes, all he wanted to do after his shifts was to hug and kiss and cuddle Nico and he just. Wasn’t. There .

So yeah, Will was pretty fucking miserable for those two weeks. Even he could tell how depressing it was to watch him stumble through his routine without the main part of it being there. He was pretty sure it was painful too because he would see some campers wince in his direction as he tried to figure out how to function like normal. Unsurprisingly to Will, he can’t remember how he used to work without Nico, and he didn’t want to remember.

Now Nico was back. He was back and Will missed him so much it hurt.

In the Hades cabin, Nico had set him down on the bed, he was unable to restrain laughter as the dark haired teen placed a smattering of kisses across his face and everywhere he could reach.

“Nico! Pause, pause!” Will weakly protested even though he was smiling widely at the attention, flopping back on the bed to escape his boyfriend’s persistence. Nico pouted at him and Will sighed fondly at the familiar look. “Don’t give me that look. You just came back right? Go take a shower and sleep. I can see those eye bags.”

Nico didn’t seem happy about this interruption, but he obliged, walking to the dresser to grab himself a change of clothes. The whole time he continued to pout, and Will loved how his cheeks were all puffed out and how he glared at everything around him. It was so stupidly endearing.

“I will be so quick.” Nico stated, as if it were a threat. “Good luck oh boyfriend of mine!” Will all but sang. Strangely, Nico paused and looked back at him for a few seconds. His expression was unreadable but before Will could ask him what’s up, he disappeared into the bathroom.

Huh, Nico’s ever reacted like that when Will called him ‘boyfriend’. He should ask what that was about. Except, how do you put that kind of question into words without sounding weird?

“Hey, you gave me a weird look when I called you my boyfriend. What’s that about?” That sounds way too forceful.

“You reacted strangely when I called you, are you okay?” That makes it sound like he did something wrong.

“Do you want me to call you boyfriend or…?” That was just a downright no.

Will sighed, because everyone just loves questions that are awkward to try and word. Will rolled over until he was laying on the bed properly, getting himself comfy under the sheets because it smelled like Nico. He smelled woodsy, almost like a rainforest. Yet somehow, also like antiques.

For as long as Nico was gone, Will laid there, listening to the sound of the shower’s running water and how it hit the floor differently every time Nico moved. He laid in the bed that wasn’t his own, comforted by its smell. It’s been so long since he’s been able to experience this. It may have only been two weeks, but it felt like two years.

The bathroom door opened, from it came a wall of steam, warmth and that same rainforest scent that was on the sheets. Will smiled as the blanket was lifted up behind him and Nico settled against his back, kissing his shoulders and neck reverently and chastely.

“Hi.”

“Hi, bellisimo .”

Oh, Will knew what that one meant. Beautiful. Even though Nico couldn’t see his face, Will ducked his head, certain that his ears were turning red. Of course, this didn’t stop Nico, because he only snuggled closer and placed kisses onto his ear.

“You’re more affectionate than usual.” Will said, because it was kind of true. Nico has left for a few days before, maybe not longer than four days, but he wasn’t as clingy as this. Maybe it was because it was for two weeks rather than the normal couple of days. Will himself had never gotten so depressed over Nico’s absence so it might just be the time. Except, something tells him that it isn’t the only thing.

Nico seems to get what he means by that. The son of Hades wriggles his arms around Will, one over his waist and the other under him to wrap around his chest and try to drag him closer, even though they are as close as they can be.

Behind him, he mumbled something that Will didn’t catch. Will twisted a little so that he could see Nico and was greeted by his blushing face and his eyes intensely staring daggers into Will’s shoulder.

“I didn’t hear you.” Will said and Nico pushed his face into his shoulder. Will took the hand on his chest and squeezed it, thumbing circles into the knuckles, maybe even tracing the ridges and dips to make a heart.

“...I like what you called me.”

“What I… called you?”

“At breakfast.”

It took Will a second before he realized what Nico was talking about. Will blushed and found himself smiling nervously. Not because he thought he’d get a negative reaction, but because of the implications behind it.

Husband. He called Nico his husband.

“I uh…” Will trailed off, turning back to his original position, facing away from Nico. “I didn’t think you’d… you’d hear that.” Mortifyingly, Will has slipped into his southern accent. There really was no denying how he felt about it.

“I did.” Nico said simply, causing a chuckle to escape Will. The hands wrapped around him gripped his shirt, as if afraid to let him go now. The action had Will’s heart drumming in his chest. It kind of hurt, how hard it was beating against his ribcage.

Nico urged Will to turn to him fully, now they were facing each other. Nico met his eyes and said something truly earth shattering. Really, Will could have felt the words reverberate across the world and right back into his heart.

“I like the idea… of you with my last name.”

Will’s breath caught in his throat, and the next second he found himself laughing. Fondness, affection, love in his heart. He was shocked, but he so badly wanted Nico to say it again and again. The memory by itself isn’t enough.

“Again.” He blurted out, a smile filled with laughter on his face. “Say it again.” Nico gave him a look but obliged. “I like the idea of you having my last name.”

“One more time.”

“I like it.”

“...Again.”

“I want you to have my last name.”

“Last time I promise.”

Nico huffed, but still, he obliged. “I want you to be my husband.” Will could feel his whole body flush and he shoved his face into the pillow, doing the extremely masculine thing and squealing into it. The next huff Nico let out was one of amusement, but he didn’t stop Will who was absolutely having a moment right there and then.

It took a while for Will to get over himself while Nico held him the whole time. Once he did though, he deflated as he came to a realization. “We’re too young.” He said, but the words were muffled by the pillow. Nico made a confused noise so Will extracted himself from the pillow and repeated himself.

Nico pursed his lips as if he hadn’t thought about it. Which he probably didn’t. He sat there thinking for a long time and Will just watched him and his incredibly expressive face as he tried to think of a loophole to their problem. Will didn’t think there was a loophole for age, but he’ll see what Nico comes up with.

“When will we even be old enough to?” He ended up asking. “When we’re about 18.” The obvious answer, but Nico gave him another look and Will realized what he was talking about. Right, they were demigods. Not really known for living to adulthood.

“Okay… what about that?” Great way to just avoid what could be a depressing conversation, Will. Geeze. It also seems that Nico will never stop giving him looks this morning.

“17.” Nico said. “Let’s wait until 17, it’s only a year off so maybe we can get an exception.” It was then that Will realized how absolutely serious Nico was.

Oh. Oh, geeze he actually wants that. With Will no less.

“You’re really serious…?” Will mumbled. Nico averted his gaze. “Should I not be?” He asked. “I never said that.” Will corrected.

The two laid there for a while, quiet and content in each other’s company. The more they stayed quiet, the more Will found himself thinking of it. Being married to Nico di Angelo. Living with him in a house of their own, small and quaint. He wondered what kind of jobs they’d get, if they’d get any pets, how breakfast and dinner would be like in a home they owned.

Then he thought about what it would look like on the day. What Nico would look like on the day and he had to shake the thought away before he short circuited.

“Can I call you marito ?”

Will looked at Nico who was tracing shapes into his chest with his finger. “Depends, what does it mean?” He replied. Nico paused, twisting the fabric in his fingers now. “I think you know.”

Will smiled. “Always, then.”

“Thank you, mio marito .”