Sunshine and Secrets

Oh Shit This is Bad

Comment pls! I love it so very much!

Will's POV, a few hours after Will and Nico returned to CHB

"Do you want to sleep in here tonight?" Nico asked. We were sitting on his bunk, playing a game of Mythomagic. He was trying to teach me, but I wasn't really getting it.

"Sure. I think I'm going to play Ares."

"You're not supposed to tell me! Now I know to counter with Eirene!" Nico laughed

I smiled. It was wonderful to see him so dam happy. We finished the game (he beat me, of course) and I got up to go grab a sleeping bag from my cabin.

"Where're you going?" Nico asked, still sitting on the bed.

"To get my sleeping bag. None of the other bunks have sheets on them remember?"

"You can sleep in my bunk tonight." He said it so innocently, with his precious kitty eyes staring up at me through his lashes.

"Where would you sleep?" I asked, playing dumb.

"In my bunk with you, I suppose." He said, just as innocently. When I didn't answer he said "We don't have to-"

"Okay," I said, warming up to the idea. Besides, I admit that I do love cuddles. Like, A LOT. I sat back down on the bed and pulled Nico into my arms. He started mumbling something.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Nothing. Just a poem."

I smiled and flopped down sideways on the bunk, taking him with me. I pulled him into a little spoon and clicked off the lamp. We just cuddled for a while, but eventually, we both fell asleep, still wearing our clothes.

~~~

"OH MY GODS, WILL!"

"Wha-what happened? Are you okay?" I sat up in the bunk, still half asleep. It was dark out, no way to tell what time it was. I was glowing slightly, which sometimes happened while I slept. Nico was sitting up in the bunk, a horrified look on his face.

"Oh," I said with sudden realization. "Nico it's fine. That happens sometimes. It's an Apollo thing." I laughed nervously.

"N-not that. Y-you're b-bleeding!" 

I gave him a confused look. I wasn't injured, and I didn't feel any pain, nor see blood. Nico seemed to pick up on my confusion and with shaking hands pulled the blanket away to reveal my lower half and-OH SHIT. The crotch of my pants was entirely red, matching the large purpley-red stain on the sheets under me. That's what I forgot! I jumped up out of the bunk and started gathering up the sheets as quickly as I could without explanation.

"W-Will? Are you okay?" Nico asked frantically, also standing up.

"Ye-n-um-I should-I'm going to just-"

"Will!" Nico grabbed my shoulders. Tears pooled in his eyes. I shook him off and rushed out the cabin door with the sheets, trying to hide the tears streaming down my own cheeks. I ran to the Apollo cabin and threw the sheets in the outdoor trash bin. The stain wasn't going to come out, I knew. I walked inside as quietly as possible, trying not to sniffle too loudly, and grabbed a fresh pair of jeans and boxers. Then I went into the bathroom and kneeled down on the floor. I examined the floorboards till I found one with a small WS on it, unnoticeable unless you were actually looking for it. I pried it open to reveal a little cubby in the floor. It was filled with tiny bottles, needles, bandages, duct tape, sports bras, and of course, a box of tampons. I pulled a tampon from the box and pulled off my pants and boxers. When it was in, I put on the clean clothes, washed my hands, and walked outside, dumping the clothes in the trash bin with Nico's sheets. I didn't feel like going to sleep any time soon, especially not in my stuffy, crowded cabin. I started off towards Half-Blood Hill, then thought better of it and went to the beach instead. The cleaning harpies most likely wouldn't find me there.

I sat on a small rock, listening to the steady swishing of the ocean. I buried my head in my hands and cried.

~~~

I was in the infirmary, two days after the catastrophe with Nico. I haven't slept at all since it happened, taking night and day shifts. All I could do was work, It took my mind off things. If I just kept working, maybe I'd wake up this would all be a dream. But it wasn't a dream. I had ruined everything, and it was all real. Nico had tried to approach me the morning after it happened, but I couldn't face him. I had run away like a coward as soon as he said had said my name. Now I hid in the infirmary, where my only problems are keeping Clarisse from bleeding to death from four different stab wounds in her abdomen, where it was peaceful. 

"Ow," Clarisse flinched.

"Sorry." I had pulled the stitch too tight. It was sad, but I couldn't use a needle anymore without thinking of Nico. And now I can't think of Nico without my inner monologue narrating the whole issue like I'm in some sort of story written by an amateur poet with daddy issues and a deep love for romantic-tragedy and musicals.  It's ridiculous.

"You're thinking about him?"

I looked at Clarrisse in surprise.

"Look, I know I'm reckless, but despite what Prissy Jackson thinks, I'm not stupid. I know a hopeless homosexual when I see one. So who is he, and what's the situation."

"I-"

"Is it a hopeless crush? A tragic breakup? Or did you do something totally idiotic and embarrassing that exposed an enormous secret that you've been hiding forever because you were afraid it would completely change the course of your relationship?"

I stared at her in shock. "How did you-"

"I have experience. It's really none of your business." She snapped.

"Sorry." I went back to stitching.

"Look. I'm going to give you some free advice: ignoring him isn't going to help. Neither is confronting him. Wait for him to ask about it. He may just brush it off and not even say anything, but if you want to salvage your relationship (if there's any relationship left to salvage), you have to let him confront you. He already feels like he's not in control. When he's ready, he'll ask you, and you will tell him. Until then, don't ignore him. It'll be awkward, sure, but if you care about him enough to keep him, it's what you have to do."

"I-thanks Clarrisse," I said sincerely. "That's really-"

"WILL!"

I spun around. Percy was at the door, holding Nico's limp body in his arms.

"Oh my gods" I whispered, then realized I had to take action. "Anya! Take over Clarrisse for me!" Anya ran over and took the sutures from me. I rushed to Percy and carefully took Nico out of his arms.

"What happened?" I asked Percy, rushing to find an empty cot. Nico was shaking, still unconscious.

"I don't know! He just appeared in front of me and fainted!"

"Nico you're so stupid!" I mumbled, finally finding a cot and putting him down onto it. I grabbed a bottle of nectar from a nearby medicine cabinet and poured some into his mouth. He stopped shaking. I sighed in relief.

"Thanks, Perc. He'll be okay. I'll keep him here for tonight."

"Okay..." Percy said, still shaken. But he left anyway and I moved Nico into one of the rooms for the overnight patients. I stared down at him sadly for a while, but then left, deciding he needed some rest.

Hi, y'all! So...sorry. This took forever to get out and my friend has been asking about it every day (I see you Marp-Marp) but I love you guys, you're the best! I'll try to update sooner but in all honesty, between homework and not being able to write at my mom's house (I'm not really supposed to have this account), that probably won't happen. I will update though, and next chapter will be Nico's POV so y'all can have your baby death bean back. K, love you guys!

-Charlie

P.S. Thank you to livingforbooks4 for voting for this chapter! It really means a lot!