LIABILITY - WILCO SOLANGELO

Ch. 1

NICO POV

The war was over but the after effects were far from. The atmosphere of celebration was dulled by the tears. So many campers had been lost - so many including Leo. I sighed; that crazy boy had given up his life to save all of us.

A tear tried to escape my eyes but I blinked firmly and held it at bay. The ghost king, the emotionless son of Hades must not be seen crying. During the adventures upon the Argo II, Leo had become a close friend. Despite his silly joking exterior, there lay a quiet scared boy who was just running from his problems - the way I did. But now he was gone too, gone like everyone else in my life.

It had been two days now and there was no sign of Leo's return. After all how could there be? I sensed him dying. Yes, something about his death felt strange but it was but a mere hope that I had kept to myself. Around me, the scene was fairly empty. The seven - well, now six -  were on a triple date. They had been reluctant and the mood had been melancholic with Leo gone, but Chiron and I insisted. They needed it - they deserved it. 

I looked around. Majority of the Roman's had gone to check on their camp while all the healers stayed back with the kids of Apollo. The team effort was going great and I could tell both sides were learning a lot from each other. So many injured campers, whom I had thought were beyond saving, had been saved in the last two days. It was like it was raining miracles, or maybe it was just dad being kind.

I was shaken from my thoughts by a beau- no wait -boy of Apollo. It was none other than Will Solace, the adorable idiot who had camouflaged himself in black despite the bright sun and who left his blonde mop out like a flag for the enemies. I chuckled inwardly as I turned to face him. "What?" I tried to grumble with a frown but I couldn't help smile around this ray of positivity.

 Will replied with mock anger, "Three days, three days including the day the war got over and you couldn't show up at the infirmary, lend a hand or just turn up as a friendly face?" Oh di Dio, he seemed annoyed (even if he only resembled a disgruntled golden retriever). However, the stuff he said - was it real? No. No one could ever think of me in such a positive way. Memories of rejection and hatred starting pooling in and I replied to Will snarkily trying to mask my hope and eagerness, "I am a friendly face? Since when, Solace? And you really want a kid of death in an infirmary? Genius." It was less of a retort and more of a way to hide the shock. No one called me friendly, no one wanted me around. Why did he then? Why was he so special?

He seemed to catch on as he said more gently, "Neeks, I don't care what people say but to me you are always going to be a friendly face. And so what if you're a son of Hades? I'm sure you saved more lives than anyone did. What you did was real brave. I have to go now, my break is over but I want you visiting me in the infirmary and eventually when the masses are cleared out, I want three days with you, three days to heal all your wounds."

Something about the way he said "all" told me he knew a lot more about me than others did. I appreciated it, honestly, but I was afraid. My wounds went a long way and for many of them I had no one to blame but myself. All I said out loud was, "Neeks, really?"

He gave a blinding smile brighter than the sunshine and said, "Yeah Neeks."

That's when the skeleton butterflies appeared and I knew this was going to be a long, complicated affair that could perhaps, perhaps end in something great.