I am. [ will's hand finds nico's and gives it a reassuring squeeze. you're safe, it seems to say. you're not alone. ] I'm right here, Nico.
[ skating his fingers across nico's jaw, will tilts nico's head up. the kiss is a gentle caress catching the corner of nico's mouth. will's thumb brushes an arc over the other boy's cheek. ]
[He turns his head the rest of the way into the kiss, eyes falling closed. Whatever doubt had remained falls away at the touch of Will's lips and his shoulders relax, his entire frame gravitating towards Will. One of Nico's hands settles over Will's chest, fingers splaying over the gentle tha-thump of his heartbeat. He almost pulls away just so that he can press his ear to Will's chest and listen to the familiar cadence, but for now feeling it pump away beneath his fingers is enough.]
Will. [He exhales his name after the kiss, grounding himself in it. This is real. Will is real. The fingers on Will's chest curl into the fabric of his shirt.]
[ fingers curling around nico's, will keeps his forehead pressed to the other boy's, not speaking. their noses graze. will lingers in the moment. with every inhale, he breathes in nico as nico does him.
he breaks the comfortable silence after a long pause. after he has tilted his head up and after he has caught nico's eye again. there is a subtle playful curl to his lips. ]
Next time you're having doubts, come find me. I'll set you straight.
[Eyes that had opened when Will began to speak fall closed again. The humor doesn't quite reach him, but the reassurance does. He lets out a full bodied sigh, letting go of the rest of the tension he'd been holding onto. When Nico pulls back, his eyes are open again though it does appear to be taking him some effort to keep them that way.]
I'm sorry. [For being so much work. He knows Will shouldn't have to chase him down like this. To force him to eat. At the thought, his stomach growls loudly as if reiterating his inability to do simple things like feed himself.]
[ sliding further across the ridiculous coffin bed, will kicks off his shoes and pulls his feet up. he sets the basket between them and starts taking things out in earnest: another bread roll; butter and cheese; a covered bowl of soup; tacos; a sandwich. in addition to the orange juice, will brings out a can of coke. ]
You don't have to eat all of it. I wasn't sure what you'd be feeling up to so I grabbed some of everything.
Thanks. [Nico eyes the contents of the basket with some interest, eventually reaching in and taking out the soup and a spoon that he finds at the bottom of the rest. His cheeks feel warm and it has everything to do with Will's thoughtful kindness. He removes the cover of the soup carefully, surprised to find the soup still hot.
It's the easiest thing to eat right now and his stomach doesn't turn over on itself as he eats which is the most he can ask for at the moment.]
Did I miss anything? [He means this morning but the last two days have been such a blur, the statement could cover those days as well.]
[ feeling mollified watching nico dig into the soup, will grabs a taco to join him. ]
Not much, [ he says between bites. will rolls his eyes. ] Kayla lost dessert privileges for another week.
[ he is throwing his sister in the garbage. he is fighting the entire nemesis cabin for her if necessary. but he is also throwing her in the garbage. ]
[He snorts quietly, continuing to eat his soup, slowly but without fail. The warmth feels good and the broth is light and inoffensive.]
What happened this time? [The entirety of the Apollo cabin has found a place in Nico's heart, but some of Will's siblings have become more endeared to Nico than others, Kayla among them. When he and Will had first started dating, Kayla had noticed his shyness where it came to physical affection around others. It hadn't been hard to figure out where Nico's hesitance came from and they'd had a talk. She hadn't brought it up directly of course, but she had caught Nico alone to share some stories about her mortal dad. She'd also had the decency to pretend not to notice when he cried a little, overwhelmed by the gesture and the stories she'd shared.
Which is to say if Will needs any help fighting the nemesis cabin, some skeletons might spontaneously spring up from the ground to do just that.]
She got into a fight yesterday with one of Nemesis’ kids. No injuries, thankfully. That would have been the end of it, but this morning Damien came by the cabin. Eye for an eye, the usual. [ nemesis kids calling for retribution are like ares kids challenging people to a fight or aphrodite kids taking passive aggressive digs at others’ appearances: you tune it out.
will sets his taco down, his expression the long-suffering one of someone who knows he has to be the adult™ but is. so tired. ]
Only Kayla was in the cabin and she heard everything. Before anyone could say anything, she shot him in the foot.
[ never shall will solace forget — or stop laughing at — the image of damien white hopping on one foot, swearing loudly, kayla’s arrow jutting out of his big toe. ]
[This time Nico manages a fond smile. (Quite possibly the incorrect reaction but go get 'em Kayla.) He can't imagine what Damien had been saying to warrant the reaction, though if Kayla shot him it must have been something alright.]
They're gonna come after her again. [Which Will obviously knows because Nemesis cabin. Also because that's just how camp works.]
Is Damien in the infirmary? [Maybe Nico can summon the energy to pay him a visit. Make it clear who has Kayla's back. It isn't that he doesn't know Will can be scary in his own right, it's just that between the two of them, only one of them has been known to incite terror and panic. Also, Nico might not have a cabin of his own, but the Apollo cabin had taken him in. They'd accepted him and welcomed him in, offered him friendship. And now they were his to protect too. People needed to understand what they were doing when they messed with an Apollo kid. (Even if they started it.)]
No, I made him sit outside our door and took the arrow out there. We keep supplies in the cabin so I wrapped his toe and sent him off with an anti-inflammatory.
He's limping, but he'll live. He'll even keep his toe.
[ and in the time that he had damien basically prisoner, will gave him the lecture of a lifetime because he is nothing if not efficient. ]
[Nico lets out a sound that might have been a quiet laugh and has to put down his soup for a second so he doesn't spill. Maybe he won't need to talk to Damien after all.]
Brutal. [He loves it. Nico spends a few more minutes with the soup before setting it down and putting the lid back on. He'd finished most of it but his limbs are feeling heavier with every movement and now that there's something in his stomach, the exhaustion has begun to outweigh the hunger.
But that presents a different problem.
Setting the soup back in the basket, Nico stands, wanting to keep himself awake.]
I'm tired. [What should be a simple statement comes with a shaky thread of fear that winds itself around his voice. He does not want to sleep. He is afraid.]
[ will chews his lip, considering. nico needs to sleep. but he's also terrified of what sleep will bring. demigod dreams are already often nightmares. tartarus dreams can only be a special brand of hell.
still. he needs to sleep.
coming to a decision, will gathers everything back into the basket and sets it on the floor next to the bed. he pulls himself up the bed until he can lie back against the pillow. there is just enough space for another person provided they lie touching, which is also part of the plan. ]
Come on.
[ will pats the bed a couple of times for good measure. ]
[His hands fall to his sides and he stares at Will, hesitating. He understands what Will is trying to do but has no idea if it'll work. In the end, his exhaustion and Will win out. He wants to sleep after all, and with Will there it's impossible to resist sliding into the space beside him. It's a tight fit with the two of them, and Nico lays on his side, curling into Will with one arm draped across his chest. The second he finds a comfortable position, he feels the heaviness in his eyelids double and he resists it still.]
I'll make the room cold...if I...dream. I can't control it.
[He snorts quietly, staring at Will affectionately and mumbling "of course you do." After a quiet pause, Nico nods, drawing closer still. The hand over Will's chest ghosts across his shirt until it rests directly over his heart, fingers pausing once they've found his heartbeat just like before.]
You don't have to do this. [Will is going to, Nico knows that, and it makes his heart ache pleasantly. Still, he doesn't have to. He doesn't want to take advantage of Will's kindness.]
[Nico responds by tilting his head into Will's neck to hide his expression.
There are words burning on his tongue and he bites them back, willing his heart rate to chill the fuck out because Will can feel it, he knows. Stupid cheater powers. The words are no longer on the verge of making their way out of his mouth but he feels them sinking deep into his heart, no less true for having not said them.]
What a pain. [He says instead, and it's not what he means. Not even close.]
[ the sound of will’s laugh vibrates through his chest. the arm around nico’s waist tightens briefly, hugging the other boy closer. ]
You’d be less bothered if you were sleeping. Which is what you’re supposed to be trying to do.
[ if he sounds less nagging than usual, it’s because he knows how difficult it is for nico to reconcile sleep during the bad days. if he can’t sleep, at least he can rest, knowing he’s safe and not alone.
and what will said was true. this is the opposite of troublesome for him. spending time with nico, even when that time is spent looking at nothing in companionable silence, ranks among the best parts of his day. will would be happy holding nico for the rest of his life. ]
[The words reach Nico through a muffled haze. The eyes he'd hidden from Will now refusing to obey his command to open again, his head too heavy to lift. Where his face has been hidden away, his lips pull up into a smile, safe in the knowledge that Will can't see it. Will's arm tightens around him and Nico obliges, melding himself against Will as though if he tried hard enough, they could become one entity. Two hearts beating as one. It's with this thought and in the safety of Will's arms that he finally drifts into a dreamless sleep.
Maybe he'll have nightmares, and maybe he won't. What Nico knows as sleep takes him is that right here and right now, he is loved, he is safe, and he is not alone. It's more than enough to give him a fighting chance.]
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[ skating his fingers across nico's jaw, will tilts nico's head up. the kiss is a gentle caress catching the corner of nico's mouth. will's thumb brushes an arc over the other boy's cheek. ]
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Will. [He exhales his name after the kiss, grounding himself in it. This is real. Will is real. The fingers on Will's chest curl into the fabric of his shirt.]
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he breaks the comfortable silence after a long pause. after he has tilted his head up and after he has caught nico's eye again. there is a subtle playful curl to his lips. ]
Next time you're having doubts, come find me. I'll set you straight.
[ ""straight."" ]
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I'm sorry. [For being so much work. He knows Will shouldn't have to chase him down like this. To force him to eat. At the thought, his stomach growls loudly as if reiterating his inability to do simple things like feed himself.]
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Apology accepted if you eat some more.
[ sliding further across the ridiculous coffin bed, will kicks off his shoes and pulls his feet up. he sets the basket between them and starts taking things out in earnest: another bread roll; butter and cheese; a covered bowl of soup; tacos; a sandwich. in addition to the orange juice, will brings out a can of coke. ]
You don't have to eat all of it. I wasn't sure what you'd be feeling up to so I grabbed some of everything.
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It's the easiest thing to eat right now and his stomach doesn't turn over on itself as he eats which is the most he can ask for at the moment.]
Did I miss anything? [He means this morning but the last two days have been such a blur, the statement could cover those days as well.]
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Not much, [ he says between bites. will rolls his eyes. ] Kayla lost dessert privileges for another week.
[ he is throwing his sister in the garbage. he is fighting the entire nemesis cabin for her if necessary. but he is also throwing her in the garbage. ]
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What happened this time? [The entirety of the Apollo cabin has found a place in Nico's heart, but some of Will's siblings have become more endeared to Nico than others, Kayla among them. When he and Will had first started dating, Kayla had noticed his shyness where it came to physical affection around others. It hadn't been hard to figure out where Nico's hesitance came from and they'd had a talk. She hadn't brought it up directly of course, but she had caught Nico alone to share some stories about her mortal dad. She'd also had the decency to pretend not to notice when he cried a little, overwhelmed by the gesture and the stories she'd shared.
Which is to say if Will needs any help fighting the nemesis cabin, some skeletons might spontaneously spring up from the ground to do just that.]
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will sets his taco down, his expression the long-suffering one of someone who knows he has to be the adult™ but is. so tired. ]
Only Kayla was in the cabin and she heard everything. Before anyone could say anything, she shot him in the foot.
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Hell of a shot, though.
[ never shall will solace forget — or stop laughing at — the image of damien white hopping on one foot, swearing loudly, kayla’s arrow jutting out of his big toe. ]
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They're gonna come after her again. [Which Will obviously knows because Nemesis cabin. Also because that's just how camp works.]
Is Damien in the infirmary? [Maybe Nico can summon the energy to pay him a visit. Make it clear who has Kayla's back. It isn't that he doesn't know Will can be scary in his own right, it's just that between the two of them, only one of them has been known to incite terror and panic. Also, Nico might not have a cabin of his own, but the Apollo cabin had taken him in. They'd accepted him and welcomed him in, offered him friendship. And now they were his to protect too. People needed to understand what they were doing when they messed with an Apollo kid. (Even if they started it.)]
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He's limping, but he'll live. He'll even keep his toe.
[ and in the time that he had damien basically prisoner, will gave him the lecture of a lifetime because he is nothing if not efficient. ]
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Brutal. [He loves it. Nico spends a few more minutes with the soup before setting it down and putting the lid back on. He'd finished most of it but his limbs are feeling heavier with every movement and now that there's something in his stomach, the exhaustion has begun to outweigh the hunger.
But that presents a different problem.
Setting the soup back in the basket, Nico stands, wanting to keep himself awake.]
I'm tired. [What should be a simple statement comes with a shaky thread of fear that winds itself around his voice. He does not want to sleep. He is afraid.]
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[ this isn't a question. ]
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I'll end up back there. I don't...when it's like this, [when it's already bad] I don't know how to stop it.
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still. he needs to sleep.
coming to a decision, will gathers everything back into the basket and sets it on the floor next to the bed. he pulls himself up the bed until he can lie back against the pillow. there is just enough space for another person provided they lie touching, which is also part of the plan. ]
Come on.
[ will pats the bed a couple of times for good measure. ]
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I'll make the room cold...if I...dream. I can't control it.
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[ will brushes nico's hair away from his face.
a promise: ] I'll wake you up if you start having nightmares.
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You don't have to do this. [Will is going to, Nico knows that, and it makes his heart ache pleasantly. Still, he doesn't have to. He doesn't want to take advantage of Will's kindness.]
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Lie in bed with my boyfriend who I like very much? Yeah, you're right. Why am I doing this?
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There are words burning on his tongue and he bites them back, willing his heart rate to chill the fuck out because Will can feel it, he knows. Stupid cheater powers. The words are no longer on the verge of making their way out of his mouth but he feels them sinking deep into his heart, no less true for having not said them.]
What a pain. [He says instead, and it's not what he means. Not even close.]
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You’d be less bothered if you were sleeping. Which is what you’re supposed to be trying to do.
[ if he sounds less nagging than usual, it’s because he knows how difficult it is for nico to reconcile sleep during the bad days. if he can’t sleep, at least he can rest, knowing he’s safe and not alone.
and what will said was true. this is the opposite of troublesome for him. spending time with nico, even when that time is spent looking at nothing in companionable silence, ranks among the best parts of his day. will would be happy holding nico for the rest of his life. ]
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Maybe he'll have nightmares, and maybe he won't. What Nico knows as sleep takes him is that right here and right now, he is loved, he is safe, and he is not alone. It's more than enough to give him a fighting chance.]