Will pulled Nico by his oddly feverish hand into a secluded section of the woods, letting the rest of their capture the flag team rush past them.

"What is up with you?" He asked. "You've been sluggish ever since you deleted that hydra near the border."

"I am not," Nico slurred. "I'm fine." He started to go back out to finish the game, but Will grabbed his arm. "Don't do that!" Nico yelped, thrusting his arm back.

"Nico, what are you hiding?" Will asked in his calm and steady doctor voice.

"Nothing!" Nico protested. Will pushed him up against a tree, holding his arm. "Don't do that," Nico gasped before his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed motionless onto the ground. Will bent down next to him and gently rolled up the long black sleeve of Nico's shirt.

Tiny pierce marks formed a straight line up either side of his arm. A hydra bite. Will knew what it was at once. Only few campers had sustained injuries like this, and not many had lived to tell the tale. Hydra poison takes about 24 hours to kill you, and it had already been roughly 18. So that was... Will did the calculations in his head. 6 hours. Nico had 6 hours to live, if Will couldn't save him in time.
Soon, he would be just another name on the list of people Will couldn't save.

Will didn't want to stray to far away from Nico, in case he got worse, but he gathered some nearby plants that he could mash together to slow the poisons spread. It would help, but Will knew that in order to fully cure him, Will would need help.

Will shoved the plant mixture into Nico's mouth, forcing him to chew. Will sat back for a few minutes, then leaned forward to check Nico's temperature. Still burning. Will could feel tears beginning to prick at the corners of his eyes. Yes, there had been people he had been unable to save. And yes, it had felt awful, but it had never felt this personal.

He glanced at Nico's unconscious form and felt an immense surge of guilt at what he was about to do. He knew that Nico hated being the center of attention, but if he was to survive, Will would need all the help he could get. He was just about to leave when he heard a faint voice behind him.

"Will," Nico croaked from the forest floor. "Where are you going? Are you leaving me here?"

"No, of course not," Will said gently, squatting down next to the younger boy. "I was just going to go get some help. So I can heal you, you know?" Nico's breathing became fast and shallow.

"What? No! I'm fine!" Nico struggled to get up, but Will grabbed his arms, preventing him from getting up.

"No, you're not. You have a fever, can't you tell?"

"People are naturally warm."

"Not this warm," Will laughed. "And you're one of the coldest people I have ever met." Will got up and started to leave.

"Don't leave me!" Nico sobbed. Will could hear pain in his voice, and it twisted his insides.

"I'll be back soon," he promised. "Go to sleep and when you wake up, you'll be healthy again."

"I don't want to," Nico moaned. A tiny smile appeared on Will's face.

"Doctor's orders."

Nico wanted to slap him, if only he could manage to get up. How could he be so callous as to leave him there? But, Nico supposed, he was used to being abandoned. That was the last thought drifting through his mind until he slipped back into unconsciousness.

Will sprinted, out of breath, into the clearing where Piper, Jason, Percy. Annabeth, Leo, Calypso and a few Apollo kids were sitting around in, laughing and enjoying their Friday night. Percy looked up when Will came crashing into the clearing.

"Will? What's going on? And where's Nico? I thought he was with you."

"In woods- hydra bite- can't save him alone," Will panted.

"What?" Jason gasped. Oh, gods... Nico!" He set off running through the woods, Percy in hot pursuit. Will had no choice but to grab any healers he could find and follow Jason and Percy through the woods.

"He's going to hate you, you know," Jason said once Will had caught up. "All the people, I mean."

"I know," Will sighed. " But there was nothing else I could do. If I don't treat him soon he could, well, you know," Will couldn't bear to say it out loud. Die. The word sent chills through Will's veins. Was it possible that after years of pointless risk taking, Nico's end would be a hydra bite? Will just couldn't bear the thought of Nico being gone. With all his talks of death, Nico was actually a kind, sweet, caring person.

"Oh, gods." Percy's voice from just ahead snapped Will out of his reverie. If anything, Nico had gotten worse. His skin was paler than ever, even more so than those few awful days in the infirmity where Will wasn't sure whether Nico would make it or not. Despite the warm night, Nico shivered on the ground even though tiny beads of sweat dotted his forehead.

"We have to move him," one of Will's siblings said, putting a hand on one of Will's shoulders comfortingly. Will nodded mutely and grabbed Nico's tiny, sleeping body and sprinted off to the infirmary.

All through the night, Will and the Apollo cabin crushed magical herbs and sang Ancient Greek healing songs in an effort to cure the raven haired boy. As the hours ticked by, Will got more and more worried about the fate of his boyfriend until the clock ticked three, and one second after. A single tear traced it's way down Will's face as he realized it was too late. Everyone stared at Nico as the realization that the boy they all knew and loved would never take another breath set in. After an eternity, Percy cleared his throat.

"Do you want us to give you a minute? To, you know, say goodbye?" Percy asked gently.

"Thanks," Will rasped. Everyone solemnly departed. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you," said Will, kneeling beside Nico's cot. "I tried, I really did, but in the end..." Tears had started running freely down Will's face now. "I guess you're in the underworld now. Hopefully in Elysium, or maybe in your dad's palace. Wherever you are, I hope you're happy." Will kissed Nico's forehead one last time, the heat making his lips tingle, and he started to leave. But something didn't feel right. All of Will's doctoral instincts were telling him to think, to realize what seemed wrong about this whole thing. And then he realized: dead people didn't give off any heat. Will rushed back to Nico's bedside. Temperature- still high, but it had gone down a little. Bite marks- still bad, but not as green. Vital organs- still in place. Heart- still beating at a slow and rhythmic pace. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump.

"Nico?" Will asked tentatively. Nico cracked open one eye.

"Hey," he croaked. " Good to see your face again." Will launched himself onto Nico and squeezed the air out of his tiny body.

"I'm so glad you're ok!" Will cried. Will was strong, and Nico couldn't quite wriggle out of his anaconda like grasp. "How are you feeling? You look like death."

"Don't worry, I always look like death," Nico grinned. He shivered and pulled the thin cotton blanket up to his chin. Will leaned over and felt his forehead.

"You're feverish," he murmured. Will grabbed Nico's hand and Nico smiled up at the blonde drowsily.

"You don't have to worry about me," Nico said as his tired eyes started to droop. He was asleep within seconds. Will watched Nico's cheat rise and fall, rise and fall, until he, too, was lulled into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

Will was woken two something hours later by Percy shaking his shoulder. He looked out the window. The sun hadn't  yet risen.

"If you want, I can keep an eye on Nico. You should go get some rest in your cabin," Percy whispered. Will looked over at Nico and felt bad about wanting to leave him, but healing Nico had taken a lot of his energy. What he wanted most right now (besides to be watching the sun rise with Nico) was a nice long nap in his bunk.

"That sounds great Percy, thanks," Will sighed. He bent over Nico and gave planted a soft kiss on Nico's lips and smoothed back his fever damp hair. He glanced at Percy, who smirked and gave him the shooing away motion. As soon as Will got to his bunk, he pulled the covers up and fell into another deep sleep.

How could Percy not be Nico's type? Percy didn't have a crush on Nico, but he couldn't help wondering what Solace had that he didn't( besides Nico, as Annabeth loved to point out). Percy was a fighter, and Nico had  said himself that Percy was the most powerful demigod that he had ever met, and Percy couldn't argue.

And in the other hand, there was Will Solace. No special powers, and not much of a fighter, although brave under fire. He was tall and good looking, which Percy hated to admit. Will was like the day, and Nico the night, which may have been why they liked each other. If opposites attracted, they were definitely in love. Percy did like the idea of light and dark, day and night, sun and moon falling in love, but he still didn't understand what Will had that he didn't. He made a mental note to ask Nico when he woke up.

Nico woke to blinding sunlight streaming through the window. He looked around blearily and spotted Percy sitting I a chair next to his bed.

"Hey," he yawned.

"Hi," Percy grinned. "Glad you're awake."

"Glad to be awake." Nico pushed back the sheets and swung his feel over the side of the bed. "Do you have any water? I'm parched."

"Oh, you want some WATER do you? I didn't think it was your TYPE."

"Not this again," Nico groaned.

"How can I not be your type? I thought you liked powerful demigods! And I'm way better looking, by a lot. And also-"

"Shut up, Jackson," Jason said, leaning against the doorframe. "Hasn't the kid been through enough lately?"

"Don't call me a kid. I'm only two years younger than you," Nico muttered.

"Three, actually," Jason said, striding in and tousling Nico's jet black hair. "Come on," he said once he spotted Nico's still disgruntled look. "You know you love it. Nico relented and smiled as he leaned his head against Jason's chest, Jason wrapping a strong arm around him in a tight side hug.

"So, how are you feeling?" Jason asked.

"Fine," Nico responded.

"Don't lie to me, you look like you've been through hell and back."

"To be fair, I have."

Percy reentered the room carrying a bottle of orange juice.

"I got you Sunny D, I thought it was more your type."

"Shut up, Percy!" Nico and Jason shouted in unison.

"Fine, I'll just go talk to Annabeth," Percy pouted. " I'm sure she'll appreciate my beauty. He pretended to flip his hair as he waltzed out of the room.

Reyna tied up her pegasus in the stables and she and Hazel walked briskly up to the infirmary, Reyna's purple praetors cloak flying behind her in the breeze. The journey had been a quiet one, but both Romans could feel worry cutting through the air like a knife.

"You really care about him, don't you?" Hazel asked suddenly. "Nico, I mean." Reyna stopped in her tracks and let out a long, slow breath. Then, she nodded.

"For so long, Hylla took care of me. She would pick me up when I had fallen, and I relied on her constantly. I suppose I simply wanted to return the favor. I wished Nico to know that he had me."

"Thank you," Hazel said. "Nico can be a handful, that I know, but he is worth it in the end."

Nico looked up as the infirmary doors banged open, revealing one Hazel Levesque, looking angrier than she ever had before.

"Where is he?" She demanded of a terrified Will, who pointed to Nico's bed as Reyna suppressed laughter in the background. Hazel stormed over to his bed with the same look she had in her eyes when she was about to slay a particularly fierce monster. Brother and sister stared at each other for a few seconds, each one wondering when the other would speak.

"Hey sis, how've you been?" Nico asked with a feeble stab at bravado. Hazel felt her face heat up in anger at her older brother.

"How have I been? How have I been? You could have died, you idiot! You're the only family I have left! You have to tell people when you get hurt, and not wait until the last second for them to find it out for themselves!" Nico was sure Hazel would have continued to yell at him, but Will, after a longer than necessary wait, intervened.

"As much as I would love to let you continue to yell at Nico for his immense stupidity, his condition is still very weak, and any exposure to loud noises or any sort of violence would probably have him sleeping for another week." Hazel nodded and stepped back, wiping her frizzy hair out of her eyes.

"I'm not in a weak condition!" Nico protested. Will smirked and shook his head as he went to tend to another patient. Reyna knelt next to Nico's cot and took his hand, rubbing warmth into his cold fingertips.

"Good to see you again," Reyna said.

"Good to see you, too, Praetor," Nico grinned. "I was wondering when you'd show up to say hi." Reyna sized Nico up, taking in his still slightly green bite marks and unnaturally pale complexion.

"You could have died." Nico had never heard Reyna's voice waver, but at that one moment in her life it did. Nico was surprised that she, or anyone else for that matter, cared so much.

"Don't worry, I'm usually about to die," Nico said. Reyna wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. Nico blinked back tears as he returned the gesture, remembering how the last time this happened he had ended up crying in front of the whole of two camps. Will cleared his throat.

"Sorry to break this up, but no physical contact with the patients." Reyna glanced to the back of the room, where a couple was violently making out in one of the beds, and tried hard not to laugh.

"Relax Solace, I'm not trying to steal your boyfriend," she chuckled. Nico and Will blushed twin shades of Crimson.

"He's not my- I mean if he wants to- but it's not official," Nico stammered.

"Anyway, Hazel and I should get going. I don't want to leave Frank in charge of the camp for too long." The girls waved goodbye and walked out the doors. Will looked into Nico's eyes.

"You're cute when you're flustered," he said. "Hell, you're cute anytime." He planted a soft kiss on Nico's lips. "I love you, death boy."

"I love you too, sunshine boy."

A/n
Hi guys! Sorry if the ending was a little cheesy, but I hope you liked it!

Nina