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(1) This was what Nico remembered: the feeling of skeletal butterflies doing some stupid dancing in his stomach. It felt so foreign, but if Nico had to be honest, it wasn't unpleasant.
As he sat on the cot in the infirmary, he tried telling those butterflies to calm down. Will was sitting on the chair next to the cot, jotting things down on the writing board that he had.
“So what is it that I have to do during this three-day stay, then?” Nico asked, trying to keep his scowl while at the same time, trying not to get distracted by the way Will’s golden curls fell over his head.
“Rest, of course,” Will answered, and lifted his eyes up from the board. "Sleep is, of course, our first priority. A well-balanced diet is next on the list."
Nico raised his eyebrows. “You have a list?” He asked in disbelief, this time managed to hold his eyes at Will’s blue eyes.
(That was another thing that Nico remembered: Will’s blue eyes)
Will’s lips curled up a little into a small smirk. “Of course I do, Death Boy.”
“What’s next on the list, then?”
“Well,” Will tapped his chin with the pen that he was holding, pretending like he was thinking hard about something. “Considering that based on your answers, you were practically an old man-“
“And thus you have to show me more respect that you’re doing now”
Will ignored Nico’s remark and continued. “And those years that lost on you while you were in The Lotus Casino means you have a lot to catch up with some cultural stuff.”
Nico snorted. “What, you mean like fine art and paintings and stuff?”
Will laughed. He leaned forward just a little. “Well, I’m not talking about that kind of art.”
There it was again. Those stupid skeletal butterflies were doing that stupid dance again in his stomach, as Nico stared at the ink of freckles on Will’s face.
“What are you talking about, then?”
“I’m talking about Star Wars.”
Nico scowled. “Isn’t it the movie with the… the light swords and that dude in a black robe?”
Will’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh? So you have watched it?”
Nico shrugged his shoulders. “No,” he said. “But I think I’ve heard about it.”
“Well, then,” Will leaned back on his chair. His grin was wide and there was this excitement in his eyes. “It is decided then. The next thing on your to-do list while you’re here is having a Star Wars marathon.”
So the fact that Will loved Star Wars was one thing that Nico remembered. But the thing that he also remembered, was the way some stupid skeletal butterflies danced in his stomach, when Will fell asleep with his head on Nico’s shoulder, in the middle of Attack of The Clones.
(2) This was what Nico remembered: Nico didn’t ask Will to stay.
It was December. Nico had always dreaded the cold that December brought. And ever since Bianca passed away, December felt like the epitome of misery for Nico.
It was December. Nico lied down on his bed. It’s way past breakfast time, but Nico just didn’t have the energy to get up, let alone go out of his cabin.
When he heard the knocking, he wasn't exactly surprised. He had a pretty good guess on who's knocking and why. Also, he knew that the person knocking on the door would stubbornly refuse to leave anyway. So Nico sighed, and forced himself to sit down on his bed, leaning his back on the headboard.
“Come in,” he said and closed his eyes. He heard the door opened, and a second later it closed again with a soft thudding sound. He could hear Will’s footsteps but he kept his eyes closed. The footsteps stopped right next to his bed.
“Hey,” Will said, voice much gentler than usual.
Nico opened his eyes but stared at the dark wooden wall in front of him. He took a deep breath and sighed.
“What do you want?”
Will didn’t say anything for a while. The silence hung heavy between them. Nico turned his head to Will.
“What do you want?” He asked again.
Will slipped his hands into the pocket of his jeans. He bit his lower lip and looked hesitant for two seconds.
“Listen. Annabeth told me that this… this particular day might be hard for you.”
Icy cold feelings stabbed Nico’s chest. He could feel tears formed in his eyes. He turned his head away from Will, trying to blink away the tears.
“And?” He asked sharply, as he turned his head back at Will. “What you are going to do about it?”
“I want to make sure that you know that it’s okay-“
“No, it’s not, Solace! I lost my sister, do you think it’s okay? Do you think I’m okay with it?”
Will didn’t say anything. He didn’t look like he wanted to say anything. He just kept his eyes at Nico’s, with a look that Nico couldn’t understand.
Nico looked away again, hating himself for starting to cry again. Hating himself for shouting at Will. Hating himself for…everything.
“It’s not okay…” he whispered to the silence of the room, this time letting a tear fell down from his eyes.
“It’s not.”
Nico turned his head again, staring at Will.
Will slid down to sit on the floor, right next to the bed. He folded his arms on the bed.
"It's not okay. It hurts. To lose the people that we love. And it feels so unfair, isn't it?"
Will paused for a moment. “But, I mean… It’s okay to feel that way. To think that it’s not okay. To think that the world sucks.”
It's unexpected, to say the least. To hear those words coming from the Apollo's son who always seemed to see a silver line in everything. But at the same time, it made a thought cross his mind.
Maybe Will would understand.
Nico chewed his lower lip, still staring at the dark blue sheet covering his bed. He took a deep breath and let it out in a shaky breath.
“I miss her,” he whispered. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Will nodded.
“I’m sure you do.”
Silence again. But this time, it felt just a little bit lighter.
“Can you tell me about her?”
Nico turned his head slowly to Will. “What?”
There was this soft, gentle smile on Will’s lips. “Tell me about her. About your sister.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s an important person to you. Because you love her. Because I want to know about her, more than just a name.”
It didn’t make sense to Nico. It didn’t make sense and Nico didn’t know how to.
Then again, when Nico closed his eyes, he could see her smile. He could almost hear her voice, laughing as they ran through the alleys back in Venice.
Nico slowly opened his eyes back. “Bianca’s favorite color was green,” he started.
He didn’t know why and how but he kept on talking. He kept on talking about Bianca and pieces and fragments of memories that he remembered. He kept on talking to Will, who was sitting on the floor, arms folded on the bed, listening to every single word tumbling down from Nico.
At one point, Will’s hand crept down to hold Nico’s hand.
Nico didn’t hold his hand back. He just kept on talking about Bianca and the song that she used to sing and her favorite gelato in Venice.
But Will kept on holding his hand and he kept on listening to Nico’s words.
And that was what Nico remembered. Nico didn’t ask Will to stay, but Will stayed anyway.
Nico also remembered another thing: he didn’t hold Will’s hand back. But Will didn’t let go, and kept on holding his hand.
(3) This was what Nico remembered: Will Solace cried in silence.
Nico stood at the doorway to the emergency room in the infirmary. Will was there, totally focusing on the girl lying on the cot.
But now, Nico had his eyes on Thanatos, who was standing in the other corner of the room.
He stared at Thanatos, with pleading eyes.
But he knew it was useless.
Thanatos shook his head, a grim expression on his face.
Nico took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a second. When he opened his eyes again, Thanatos already stood just two steps away from him.
“I’m sorry, My Prince,” Thanatos said, bowing his head a little.
“Well...,” Nico said. “You’re just doing your job.”
“Some death-“
"Cannot be avoided. Yes, I know that, Thanatos," Nico cut him sharply. His eyes quickly darted to where Will was. The healer didn’t seem to hear their conversation though (nor did he seem to care about anything else other than the girl on the cot, for that matter).
Thanatos’s lips thinned into a line, but he gave Nico a single nod.
Nico let out a small shaky breath. He knew that. He already knew that death was a certainty, anyway. But knowing how much it hurt Will to lose another patient? That’s another thing.
Nico made a small dismissive gesture with his hand. “Just… do what you have to do. Please make sure that it’s…in the least painful way for her.”
“She will no longer be in pain, My Prince,” Thanatos assured him. And with that last remark, he disappeared, leaving only a small trace of black smoke.
Nico took another deep breath and slowly let it out. Carefully, he made his way to the cot. When he was only a step away from Will, he stopped.
He watched the way Will’s chest moved heavily for a few silent moments. Then Will leaned forward, to gently closed the girl's head with the pale blue blanket.
Nico carefully placed his hand over Will's shoulder, squeezing it just a bit.
“We lost her,” Will said in a shaky whisper. “I lost her,” he added, voice even lower.
A steel fist clenched Nico’s heart. He squeezed Will’s shoulder again. The blond still had his eyes fixed on the body on the cot, now covered with a pale blue blanket.
“It’s not your fault, Will,” Nico said. There was a growing lump in his throat, but he forced himself to say it again. “It’s not your fault.”
Nico felt Will’s shoulder trembled as he took a deep, shaky breath. He kissed the top of Will’s head, mumbling against the curls again, “It’s not your fault, Tesoro. It’s not.”
Oh, how Nico would keep on saying it again and again, until Will really, truly believed in those words.
They burned the body the next morning, so early, the sun was nothing but pale purple light in the sky. Nico watched the fire burned the black and green shroud, Will stood silently next to him
And that was what Nico remembered: Will cried in silence. He didn’t weep, not even a sob. He cried by schooling his face into a blank canvas. Will shed no tears, but the color of his eyes turned into a dull shade of blue.
(4) This was what Nico remembered: Will tasted like strawberries with a touch of mint.
“Here, eat some,” Will shoved the bar of Kit Kat into Nico’s hand.
Nico raised his eyebrows but quickly unwrapped the chocolate bar. Will took a seat next to the cot, where Nico was sitting with crossed legs.
“Wow,” he said. “So McDonald’s chicken nugget is bad so you’re telling me to eat chocolate bar instead? Are you trying to give me a sugar rush or something?”
Will huffed. "McDonalds' gives you high blood pressure and a bigger risk of stroke and heart diseases. Kit-Kat, and chocolate bars, for that matter, are quick sources of energy. Exactly what you need after shadow-traveling."
Nico nodded, mouth still full with chocolate.
“You know what? I am not complaining. And maybe we should do more research on that.”
“On what?”
“Which kind of chocolate bars is the best one to give me after shadow-traveling,” Nico proposed, and took another bite of the Kit Kat.
Will chuckled, but his eyes softened. “Yeah, that sounds like a very intriguing research indeed.”
Nico continued eating the chocolate, but the way Will was staring at him almost made him squirmed.
“What?” Nico asked.
Will blinked. “Huh? What?”
Nico huffed. “You’re staring at me. Do I have chocolate on my face?” Nico’s index finger flew to his cheek and rubbed it.
Will smiled. And somehow, it’s not that brilliant smile that he usually had. This was different. This was a soft, gentle smile. A smile that made Nico forgot how to breathe for a second.
“You’re cute, do you know that?”
Nico’s heart skipped a beat. He could feel heat rushing into his face, burning the back of his neck.
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are,” Will insisted. He leaned forward a little, bringing his face closer to Nico’s. This time, there was a glint in his eyes, the smile turned into a playful smirk.
Nico huffed, trying his best to look annoyed. But inside, his heart was beating so fast, so fast with something he faintly recognized as a mix of nervousness and excitement.
“Oh yeah? So what?”
“So maybe it makes me want to kiss you.”
It wasn’t like Nico has never imagined this before. It wasn’t like Nico has never spent too much time wondering whether he read it all wrong. Then again, really hearing the words coming from Will instead of just some imaginary dialogues that he had in his mind still caught Nico off-guard. Nico inhaled sharply but he couldn’t seem to look away from Will.
“So maybe you should,” he said, half-whispering. He was almost proud that his voice was just a bit shaky, even though his heart was jumping like crazy in his chest.
For just a second, Will seemed surprised, like he didn’t expect Nico’s reply. But then the soft smile returned to his face, his blue eyes like a clear morning sky. He leaned forward even closer.
“Well, then maybe I will,” he whispered.
Nico closed his eyes as Will leaned even closer, his breath warm and light, a faint tickle over Nico’s skin.
The next second, he felt Will’s lips over his, a warm, sweet pressure that lingered for a short, fragile moment.
Will pulled away, and Nico opened his eyes. They stared at each other in silence, both breathing heavily. And it was Nico who spoke first.
“Hey, Will?”
“Hm?”
“Can you kiss me again?”
Will smiled and leaned forward again. He cupped Nico’s cheek in his hand that felt warm on Nico’s skin.
“Do you want me to?” He asked, his blue eyes gentle, sparkled with glee.
Nico hummed, and gave him a single nod. He didn’t even realize that the tips of his lips curled up into a small smile.
“Okay, then.”
Will kissed him again, and this time, Nico kissed him back. He let his fingers buried between the soft curls of Will’s golden hair and he let himself lost in the kiss.
Will slowly pulled away, only to gently pressed his forehead against Nico’s.
“You taste like Kit-Kat,” he said.
Nico chuckled. He pulled himself a bit from Will, and carefully traced Will’s lips with his finger.
“And you, Solace. You taste like strawberry and mint. Must have been your toothpaste.”
And that was what Nico remembered. Will tasted like strawberry, with a touch of mint.
(5) This was what Nico remembered: Will felt like home.
Nico walked out of the shadow to the coolness of his own cabin. He put his sword under his bed, and with wide steps, he made his way to the door. The afternoon sunlight was warm on his skin as he walked to the tree near the strawberry field.
Will was sitting under the tree, sitting cross-legged with a book on his lap. It was probably one of those medical textbooks that Will strangely enjoyed so much, as he didn’t seem to hear Nico’s footsteps. Nico stopped, and took a moment to stare at Will. It was almost ridiculous, that even with that hideous orange t-shirt that he was wearing, the sight of Will still made Nico strangely breathless.
“Hey,” Nico called.
Will looked up. When his eyes met Nico’s, the blue eyes sparkle as a smile light up his face.
“Neeks! You’re back!”
“Hmph.”
Will closed his book and put it aside.
“I’m tired,” Nico said, half-whining as he plopped himself down to sit right next to Will.
Will opened his arms invitingly, his eyes as warm as his smile. “Rest, then. Just lay down here on me.”
“Say no more, Solace,” Nico said. He scooted even closer to Will, and rest his head against Will’s chest. He closed his eyes as Will wrapped an arm around him. Nico let himself melt into the familiar warmth of Will’s embrace. As he started drifting off to sleep, he felt Will’s fingers gently going through his hair.
“Welcome home, darling,” Will whispered softly, and Nico felt Will’s lips gently pressed on the side of his head. “Now rest. You’re here now. You’re home. With me.”
And that was the last thing that Nico remembered before he fell asleep: He’s home now, in Will’s embrace. Will felt like home.
(+1) This was what Nico would never forget: he loved Will.
It was dark inside Cabin 13. A sliver of moonlight sneaked in from the window and fell on Will's hair. With the soft moonlight illuminating it, the golden curls looked more like silvery strands between Nico's fingers.
Playing with some strands of Will's hair, Nico let himself enjoyed the sight of his boyfriend, lying peacefully next to him. Will's eyes were closed, but there was a small, barely-there smile on his lips. And Nico knew that behind those eyelids, Will's blue eyes were smiling too.
Will opened his eyes, and shifted so now he’s lying on his side, facing Nico.
“It’s past midnight now,” he said softly.
Nico hummed. “And?” he asked, pulling his finger away and started tracing Will’s jawline.
“And it means that you’re officially 18 now.”
“Technically-“
Before he finished his sentence, Will already pressed a finger on his lips, shutting him down.
“Nope. None of that born-in-the-30’s shit now. Let me just enjoy the fact that it’s my boyfriend’s birthday now.”
Nico rolled his eyes. Will pulled his finger away, then leaned forward to place a soft, gentle kiss on Nico’s lips. He pulled away just a little, and placed another gentle kiss on the soft skin near Nico’s ear.
“Happy birthday, love,” he whispered. Nico shivered. The genuine sincerity in Will’s voice made him felt warm and giddy and just so inexplicably happy.
He cupped Will's cheek. Will was staring at him like Nico was the only thing in the world that he cared about. But he knew that he's also staring at Will in the same way.
“Kiss me again? As a birthday gift?”
Will smiled and even in the dim, soft light of the moon, that smile made Nico’s heart skipped a beat.
Will leaned forward again, kissing him again. Nico kissed him back, fingers buried between Will’s soft curls. And for a while, the whole world was reduced into just the two of them and the kiss that they were sharing.
For a while, there were only the two of them and nothing else mattered. Nothing could hurt them as long as they’re together like this, lost in the kiss.
Nico pulled away. Slightly panting, he stared at Will. Will smiled, and placed a quick, chaste kiss on Nico’s nose.
“What else that you want for your birthday?”
“More birthday with you. More days and years to spend with you. More memories to be made with you.”
Will laughed. He wrapped an arm around Nico, and pulled him so Nico was half-lying on his chest. He kissed the crown of Nico’s head.
“I love you so much, you know that, right?”
Nico looked up. “And I love you too. You know that, right?”
Will hummed, and wrapped his arms around Nico, enveloping him in his warm embrace.
There were a lot of things that Nico remembered about Will. And there was this one thing that he would never, ever forget: he loved Will. And Will loved him back.
***