The Legend of Nico and Will

Chapter Ten

When Nico came back, he was furious.
"What's wrong?," I asked.
"Nothing."
"But I see that you're-"
"For Hades' sake, Will! I said nothing!"
"Did you just-"
"If you don't shut up about it right now, I swear to the gods, you'll feel my blade of stygian iron in your face." I said nothing.
"I know why you always call me Solace," I finally said quietly.
"You're right, because you're an stubborn idiot."
"No," I said and began to giggle.
"Wha- stop! Why are you laughing at me?"
"Say my name again." He probably knew what I was trying to prove because he twisted his skull ring.
"Will," he said, almost whispering. Except he didn't say Will. He said Weel.
"Di Angelo. What language is that name from?"
"It's italian. Like me."
"You grew up there?"
"Yeah. In venice."
"Cool." I waited because I thought he would tell me a little more, but he seemed to be done with talking to me. "I like it," I finally said.
"What do you like?," he asked.
"Your accent. It sounds kinda melodic. And I think, you should talk more because I want to hear more of it." He looked at his empty plate.
"I don't like to talk that much, you know. If I don't concentrate enough you can hear my accent and I don't like it." He looked so upset that I decided to change the subject. I cleared my throat.
"Anyway. Eat or you'll have to stay two more days in the infirmary for practically being a skeleton." For a moment, Nico looked like that wouldn't bother him at all, but I blinked and he had his usual dark-mood-face. What he didn't know was: I also was good at staring. He gave up.
"Fine," he sighed. "Just wait." He stood up and came back with an avocado bread and some grapes. I lifted an eyebrow.
"You're eating healthier than I thought. You seem to be the fast food type," I said. He shrugged.
"Even I need some healthy food sometimes." I snorted in amusement and he smiled briefly. Then he took a deep breath and said: "Can I ask you something?" I felt butterflies flying around in my stomach but I managed to look emotionless.
"Sure." His eyes nervously jerked to the Poseidon table. "Percy and I had a fight. About what he shouldn't have done and what he should have but didn't. Do you think I should talk to him? I was being pretty mean and I'm sorry for what I said."
"Are you sorry for what you said or for the way you said it?"
"Well...I meant what I said but it wasn't nice to tell him. I told him that he treated be like dirt and so on."
"I'll tell you something. As we all know, Percy's fatal flaw is loyality, right? But I think that because he cares so much about his loved ones, he easily forgets other people. He's a good person and a true hero but still-he forgot about you. He forgot about me. I saved his girlfriend's life and he didn't ever really talked to me. He thinks it goes without saying that other people, who aren't as great heroes as him, got his back and he doesn't question it. So I think it's a good thing that you hurt his pride a little. Apologize for the way you said the truth, but not that you said it. That's my opinion." He blinked.
"Thanks! That was actually...good advice. I'll talk to him when I get out of that piece of Tartarus called infirmary." I beamed at him.
"Great idea. When you're done with eating we have some bandages to cut. I just decided you'll be my assistant as long as you can stand."