Chasing The Dark

Chapter 7 - Aphrodite Ships Bromances Too!

Entry #9

Nico di Angelo and I are gonna discuss talking strategies...

Should we include a kid of Athena?

Goals of the day:

-Get Will to open up

Apollo closed the journal, confident this time. He wasn't alone in his search for answers and, in some way, he was glad that he was pairing up with the son of Hades for this mission. In normal circumtances, the light and the dark don't go together, but when they have a common objective, they can be powerful... Or that he thought.

Besides, Nico was a quiet guy. He wouldn't be winding up around Will's problems or his plans for that matter. He went through some heavy stuff himself and he consider this 'a debt to pay'.

"Will saved my life forbidding me to shadow travel any time soon..." Nico had explained to Apollo "If this sneaking around saves his life, I'd be paying my debts..."

For some ridiculous reason, Apollo didn't want Nico to feel he was just 'paying his debts to Will'. He wanted him to make it out of his good heart.

"So, how are we doing this?" Nico's words came from the door. Apollo turned to him, to find him leaning against the door frame, arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Straight to the point, uh?" Apollo found hard not to make a joke about it "No manners, no greetings, no nothing?"

"I'm sorry if you think I have no other things to do" Nico's words were polite, but they held a warn behind them.

"Auch! Wound me, cousin..." he faked hurt, placing a hand over his heart. Nico simply rolled his eyes and looked at him, pointedly "OK, OK..."

"So..."

"Well, direct approach won't work. Already tried that once" Apollo admitted "So, I guess slowly making him talk a out it is in line"

"Like, leading the conversation?" Nico raised an eyebrow, wondering. But he was starting to freak out. He was the least one to lead a conversation.

"Yes" Apollo nodded, though he ignored his insecure tone "Make him give you private archery lessons..."

"I don't want private archery lessons!" Nico snapped at him, blushing.

"Of course not" Apollo waved at him, brushing the subject off "You'll use them to talk to him"

"Can't it be while making guard around the woods? Guarding the flag in capture-the-flag?" Nico suggested, running out of options for the god to choose from. But Apollo shook his head.

"If you're guarding, a monster can come out of nowhere and jump at you, attack you and you'll get nothing if one of you die!" Apollo scolded him.

"Your concern on us is really appreciate it" Nico mocked him.

"If you're guarding the flag, you can be attack in any minute of someone from your own team can interrupt you!" Apollo continued, like he never said anything "So, it has to be private archery lessons"

"I'm starting to regret helping you" Nico sighed, shaking his head.

"Just, go convince him!" Apollo gestured him to get out of his office. Nico groaned and turned around. He was right when he woke up today: today was gonna be a long day.

~oOo~

Right before dinner, Apollo had agreed with Nico to meet and share his discoveries in Will.

"Sorry I'm late" Nico apologized, jogging to the meeting spot.

"What took you so long?!" Apollo demanded him. Nico was about to answer when he stopped him "Doesn't matter, I don't wanna know"

"Fine, then this meeting is useless..." Nico replied, trying to catch his breath.

"What do you mean 'this meeting is useless'?" That choose of words caught Apollo's attention and now, he was staring at Nico "Well?!" Nico smirked and started to tell everything he found today:

"Here comes the shadow traveler..." Will mocked Nico when he saw him walk by. Nico rolled his eyes fighting his blush and walked to him "How come you never visit?"

"I suck at archery, Solace, and you know it" Nico remembered Will, who chuckled and nodded.

"I still don't understand why you don't want to take private classes..." Will shook his head, in disbelief.

"Don't stop believing so fast..." Nico smirked at him "I'm gonna take you on that offer..."

"Wait... Is Nico di Angelo asking for help?!" Will opened his mouth slightly and gasped, his hands in his hair "Look out everyone! The end of the world is coming!!" Will's words were a little loud for Nico's taste. Especially, since some of the passing campers took them by heart and started to run to the armory to armed themselves.

"Look what you caused!" Nico accused him, making Will laugh "It's not funny, Will!!"

"It is to me!" Will recognized, chuckling "So, you're ready?"

"Ready for what?" Nico repeated, raising an eyebrow. It was Will's turn to roll his eyes.

"The lessons, silly!" Will surprised Nico "Were starting now!"

"Why now?" Nico wondered, whinning.

"Because I'm bored, I have nothing else to do and-" Will stopped talking abruptly and looked away.

"And, what, Will?" Nico asked, concern.

"Nothing" Will lied to him "I, um... I'm just not in a shooting mood..."

"Wait, you don't like to shoot?"

"Don't say that word!" Will scolded him, a little loud.

"Which word?"

"Just- C'mon, let's start..." Will started to walk to the archery field, limping a little. Nico followed him right behind.

"'Don't say that word'? Which word?" Apollo questioned Nico after he finished. Nico shrugged.

"I don't know, but I'm guessing that, after what happened all afternoon, the word is 'shoot'" Nico guessed "Probably, because it sounds like an order?"
"But, why Will will take orders and who is giving them...?"

Entry #10

Nico made progress with Will.

New discoveries:

-Will can't stand the word 'shoot'

New interrogates:

-Is Will getting control by someone?

-Does that someone is hurting Will?

-What has his mother to say to this?