Chapter VII

N

I

C

O

Nico smiled shyly as he watched Will, he knew that there were other people around and that they could notice, but he didn't really care. There was something beautiful about watching a person when they didn't know they were being watched, when they weren't on their best behavior for you or acting a certain way.

He was sitting alone at the Hades table, as usual, at dinner. He'd been working up the courage to ask Will if he could sit with him when he'd started noticing tiny little things that he hadn't before. He hadn't meant to start staring, but that's what had happened.

Will smiled as he told a joke, it was apparently really funny because all of the Apollo kids cracked up. Nico blushed as he remembered that they all knew about their relationship, which was part of the reason he didn't want to go over there.

They all openly thought that him and Will were "an adorable couple" and there was this group of them that freaked out every time they were even near each other, it was actually scary.

He sighed and stabbed his mashed potatoes.

"Hey, don't take it out on the potatoes, dude."

Nico's eyes widened and he jerked up. Crap.

He turned around, trying to act casual. "Need something, Leo?"

"Actually, yeah." Leo slid into the seat next to him.

Nico stared at him.

"Hey, look, I know I've never really talked to you before, and I'm sorry, but I just thought that you should know. . . uhm. . ." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, "Well I know about you and Will a-"

"Wait, WHAT?! How? Did Jason tell you?"

"Woah, wait, Jason knows?"

"And the entire Apollo cabin." Nico muttered, "But how did you find out?"

Leo looked like he'd rather be anywhere else, "I know how it sounds, but just hear me out, okay?" Nico considered him doubtfully, but nodded. Leo sighed with relief. "I was taking Callie to the infirmary because she got a bad cut on her arm-- she's Mortal, now, by the way-- and I saw you and Will, only forehead touching stuff, anyway, I pushed her out before she saw anything and made up some story about wanting to take care of her and blah, blah, blah, point is, if you need to talk to someone. . . Uhm, I guess you could talk to me. I'm not really usually a touchy feely person. . .  But, I don't know. I'm just trying to say that I support you and I'll keep your secret." He drew in a breath and waited for Nico to reply.

Nico blinked, "You. . . And. . . You're. . ."

He couldn't wrap his head around the fact the Leo Valdez knew about his relationship and was actually being serious and supportive.

"Is this a joke?"

Leo looked genuinely hurt. "No, of course not! I know I crack stupid jokes all the time, but I'd never do something like that."

"Okay. . . Well, thanks Leo." Calypso was looking at them with a very confused expression on her face. "Your girlfriend is waiting." He jutted his chin towards her.

Leo grinned, "See you around, dude."

He slid off the seat and walked back towards the daughter of Atlas.

Nico stared at his lunch and pushed a peice of lettuce around. Eventually he sighed and stood up. The remains of his meal (which was most of it) disappeared along with the plate.

He walked out if the dining room and started towards his cabin, trying not to feel like everyone was staring at him, or think that maybe it would be worse if no one even noticed that he left.

Nico shook his head and jogged up the steps, thinking about getting a lock on his cabin door. He pushed the door open and closed it behind him, taking off his aviators jacket and hanging it on a hook. When he looked up he almost did a series of things that would be particularly unwise in this situation; like throwing the nearest thing or maybe turning and bolting from the cabin like an entire pack of Hell Hounds was chasing him.

Nico suddenly found himself wondering how Mrs. O'Leary was doing.

Long, perfectly manicured fingers snapped in front of his face, jerking him out of his thoughts. Nico glared.

"Welcome back to earth, son if Hades." Aphrodite told him.

"What do you want?" Nico asked impatiently. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to be mouthy to a goddess, but Nico tired and this was his cabin, so as far as he was concerned, she was the last person he wanted to see.

She sighed, maybe she was just as happy to see him as he was to see her, at least they were on the same page. "I came here to strike a proposition."

Nico groaned. "And what would that be?"

Aphrodite smirked, "Earlier, you were thinking  you wanted a way to bring your sister back, is that correct?"

"When have I not been thinking that? And I don't appreciate you being in my head, by the way."

She rolled her eyes, which were shifting from sea green to sky blue. Nico's cheeks flushed.

"Do you want me to tell you how you can get her back or not?"

Nico glowered at her. "If you just came here just to play games with me, you can leave, the door is right there." Nico stepped aside and mockingly gestured respectively towards the door.

Or better yet, I could open up a straight route to Hell and you could take that.

"I assure you, this is no game, Nico." She dangled a vial from her fingertips, one side of her mouth rose higher than the other. "Interested yet?"

"What is that?"

"A choice."

Nico gave her his best death glare, which, considering that he's a son of Hades, is pretty good.

She sighed, "Do I have to spell it out for you, di Angelo?"

"What do you think?"

She pursed her lips. "You miss her, don't you? Bianca I mean."

Nico's jaw tightened and he lifted his chin, determined not to show any weakness. "Of course I miss her. I've missed her every day since the day I knew I'd never see her again."

"What would you give to get her back?"

Nico's gaze dropped to the floor and he squeezed his eyes shut, leaning against the bunks. "I'd do anything."

"Anything at all?"

His eyes flashed open, hot tears brimming in them. "Get to the point, Aphrodite." His voice was dangerously low.

"The contents of this vial are exactly what you need."

Nico's gaze fixed on the small phial, a muscle in his face twitched. "It would bring her back?" He felt his defenses lowering.

"There is a price of course."

He didn't move his eyes from the vial as he watched the liquid slosh around.

"A soul for a soul," She told him. "The soul of someone you hold dear."

A loved one. The words remained unspoken between them. Nico took a step back, shaking his head. "I can't do that. Bianca would hate me, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

She held it out in the palm of her hand, "Take it, no one said you have to use it. Something like this is hard to come by, it could be a good bargaining chip."

Nico reached out, freezing right before his fingers touched it. It's just a bargaining chip. That's all, I won't use it. As soon as his fingers closed around the cool glass, the goddess of love disappeared, leaving only  the scent of roses and the vial as proof that she was ever there.

* * * * *

Nico couldn't get to sleep, he was too busy turning the vial over in his hand and studying its contents. He kept suddenly setting it on his nightstand and getting up to pace, then he would catch sight of it out of the corner of his eye and pick it up again. And the cycle would continue.

Nico was pacing with the vial this time when he heard a knock at the door. He quickly shoved it into his pocket. "Come in."

The door opened to reveal none other than Will Solace. "Are you okay? I noticed your light was still on."

No, no I'm not okay. Nico wanted to tell Will everything, to just hide in his arms for a while and be told everything would be fine.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He lied.

"Neeks, I'm a doctor, I can tell when something's wrong."

"Leo knows." Nico blurted.

Will's eye's softened and he walked forward. "Nico, homosexuality isn't a disease, and people shouldn't be afraid of it. It's who you are."

He brushed hair out of Nico's eyes and rested his palm on the other boy's cheek. Nico turned his face, brushing his lips against Will's palm. "That's not how everyone thinks."

Will drew Nico into him and kissed the top of his head, running his fingers through Nico's hair.

Nico usually hated people touching him, hated letting down the guard he'd spent so long building up, but Will made him feel safe, and even if Nico didn't fully understand why, he loved it. He wrapped his arms around Will's torso and buried his face in his chest. The son of Apollo smelled like sun-bleached meadows, freshly cut grass, ambrosia and nectar, and under everything else was a faint trace of mint soap.

"Don't go." Nico whispered.

Will nuzzled his hair, "I'm here. Everything's okay." He told him, rubbing his back.

Nico took shuddering breathes, feeling his defensive walls crumbling to rumble in Will's embrace. Years of pent-up emotion started to boil over. Memories crashed into him full-force, like he was living them for the very first time.

Bianca held him, right after the lightning strike. He screamed and struggled while she sobbed into his hair, rain pelted against them, and the fire crackled like harsh laughter, trapping their mother inside the hotel.

Percy looked at him like the world was crashing in, "Nico, I tried. But Bianca sacrificed herself for the rest of us to survive. I told her not to do it but she. . .

"You promised me! I shouldn't have trusted you!" Nico screeched.

Nico trudged through Tartarus, truly more alone and afraid than he ever had been. There was no sense of time, nothing left of the mortal world to hold onto but himself, and even that was slipping away. Nico was slowly going insane. And he knew it.

He held onto Percy, his grip slipping. His age-old crush looked down at Annabeth and promised that they'd never be separated again. In that moment, Nico finally accepted that Percy was already in love and he was a going to have to let him go, literally. Percy stared up at him with his  clear, sea green eyes and made him promise to lead the others to the Doors of Death and Nico released his grip, his heart shattering as the pair plummeted into the unknown.

Cupid looking at him as he closed in for the kill and Nico spat,  "I had a crush on Percy. That's the truth. That's the big secret. Happy now?"

Cupid's gaze almost seemed sympathetic, but underneath, Nico knew he was laughing at him. "Oh,  I wouldn't say love always makes you happy. Sometimes it makes you incredibly sad. But at least you've faced it now. That's the only way to conquer me."

Nico didn't need to be told that love hurt. He'd had enough experience with that already.

Nico was screaming.

"Nico!" Will cupped his face in his hands, "Nico, you're okay, everything is fine."

Tears were forming in the healer's eyes as well, "You're fine. You're okay." He hugged Nico tightly and buried his face in the smaller boy's neck, "I'm here and I'm not going to let anyone hurt you."

Nico drew in shaky breathes and tried to focus on Will. Just Will. Nothing else. In. Out. Everything was fine.

"Will you stay with me?"

Will nodded, and kissed his forehead, wiping tears off of his cheeks. "Of course I will."

I have no words, okay bye.