The Call of the Void

Will, a 14 year old, gets chastised for being unprofessional

When I woke up the next morning, the first thing I did was go to the infirmary. I checked in with everybody, and lastly, went to Nico's bunk. Since this is the last day I'll keep him here, I decided I'd get something special for him. Three pieces of french toast, stuffed with nutella, and two pieces of thick cut bacon. I knew he wouldn't eat it all, but that was okay. 

I pushed the door open slightly, watching Nico's chest rise and fall slightly as he slept. He looked so beautiful, so peaceful, for once. 

I wish he'd always look like that. 

Ok Will, rein it in. He's your patient, you have to treat him with some modicum of professionalism. 

He groaned and began to wake up. "Hey, sleepyhead." I smiled a little bit, moving closer to give him the tray. "Hope you had good dreams." 

He didn't seem to pay attention to me at first, checking the other side of the bed, confused, before looking up at me. "Oh, um... I mean... Not really." 

"Oh, that's a shame." 

He shrugged. "They weren't as bad as they usually are, so that's something at least." 

I sat next to him. "You mean they're usually bad?" 

He laughed bitterly. "Bad is an understatement." 

I nodded. Night terrors were an unfortunately common thing here, and I had seen what his were like. "... I'm glad you're opening up, at least." 

His eyes darted away from me, and his cheeks were tinged pink. "Y-yeah, whatever." 

I smiled a little, and watched him dig in, only eating about half of a slice before forfeiting the rest to me. I ate his leftovers, as I always did. "... You seem to be eating a little more each mealtime." I noted. "That's good. Your stomach is stretching back out." 

I looked over to see him blushing like mad, sipping his orange juice. "Um... Thanks." 

I smiled even brighter. I loved it when his face got red like that. It was adorable, and it happened so easily. 

"... So. Last day. Am I, y'know... Allowed to sleep in my cabin tonight?" 

I sighed. "I mean... I wasn't planning on letting you, but if you feel healthy enough, then I guess it's fine. Won't make that much of a difference." I set aside the last bite of french toast, just in case he wanted it. "It may be more comfortable for you, y'know, being somewhere familiar." 

He shrugged. "I haven't really been in my cabin much." He admitted. "I'm usually either staying at Camp Jupiter or my room in the underworld... I don't remember the last time I stayed a night." 

"Really?" 

"No, I think it was... Sometime before I met Hazel. Right after the titan war. I really loved it at first, probably because I was really into gothic stuff back then. But also... Just because I felt included. Considered. Now that the gratitude's worn off... I dunno. I kind of wanna get a renovation done." 

"Maybe you could ask Annabeth for advice." 

He cringed a little. "... I... I could, but... I'm still worried things are awkward with her." 

"Why would things be awkward? I saw you two high-fiving. And even before then, didn't she cuss Hera out for saying something nasty about you?" 

"Yeah, but..." He shook his head. "... I dunno." 

I hummed a little, trying to signal that I was listening without responding, and held out the last bite that I saved. 

He rolled his eyes, but took it and popped it into his mouth. 

After a while, I found the silence awkward. "... So, what did you do? Y'know, as... Ambassador of Pluto?" 

He sighed. "... I can't tell you everything. Obviously. But I did a lot of diplomacy, and I even had some input on any new laws passed, old ones repealed. And... I was even in charge of people's last rites." 

I nodded slowly, trying to take in the information. "... So, was that something you only did for New Rome?" 

"Well... I wasn't, like, officially in charge or anything, but I did take it upon myself to take care of the dead." 

"Were you... There? During their funerals?" I found myself asking. "My brothers, I mean." 

"Of course." He answered, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

I began to fidget with my hands. "Could you... Tell me about them?" 

His brows shot up. "... Sure. What do you wanna know?" 

I shrugged. "Just... Everything." 

He smiled just a tiny bit. "... Well... I helped Percy write Michael's eulogy, for starters. He worked on the shroud too, it was gold and brown, with little packets of his favorite candy sewn in. And the number on his football jersey." 

I nodded, and tried not to cry. "I wish I could've seen it." I muttered. "Y'know, we... We never found Michael's body." I found myself remembering. "I hate to think he's just... Wandering the banks." 

Nico sighed. "Y'know... I found him there. I didn't know who he was, not really. Just his name. But... I paid his way." 

I looked at him, mouth agape, like he'd just said he cured cancer. "... Really?" 

"Yeah. I always carry drachmas with me when I'm down there, just in case I run into some souls that still need to get across. It just... Seems like the right thing to do." 

I threw my arms around Nico's shoulders and squeezed him tight. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" I felt something get caught in my throat as I rested my chin on his head. "Thank you..." 

"Solace... I can't breathe..." He choked out, making me release him instantly. 

I felt heat creep up onto my face and down my neck. "Sorry, I just... I just got carried away, a little." 

He smiled wider than I'd ever seen him smile before. "Hey, it's fine." 

I felt my face get hot again, just staring at him, the slight freckles on his nose warping and drawing attention to themselves as his straight, A-line nose wrinkled, sallow cheeks appearing just a little fuller. 

Oh. 

OH. 

Well that's a new development. 

I cleared my throat. "Oh, right. You, um... You haven't had your vitamins yet. I'll just, uhh... Get those for you." I stiffly stood from my seat on his bed. "I'll be back in a minute." 

As I hurried to the medicine cabinet, I bumped into Kayla. "Oh, hey." 

"Will..." She started, teasingly stern. Or maybe just stern. It was hard to tell with her sometimes. 

I laughed a little. "Um, hi Kayla." She looked up at me, expression deadpan as I reached to open the cabinet, without once taking my eyes off of her. "I, um. I just need to get Nico his vitamins." 

She sighed, seeming exasperated. "Will, you can't keep doing this." 

"Doing... What?" 

She snorted. "I think it's pretty clear what you're doing. You're showing favoritism." She explained, before turning to get the bottle of vitamins. "Leaving me and Austin to look after practically everyone else by ourselves while you nurse your crush." 

I felt heat flood my face. "Crush? What, no! What are you-?" 

"Does he need any other supplements?" She asked dryly. 

It took a few seconds for me to recalibrate after being interrupted like that. "Um... Yeah, calcium, iron, omega 3... I think that's it." She hummed and grabbed the bottles wordlessly, and walked out. "... Wait." 

She turned back. "Yeah, what is it?" 

I sighed. "... Don't tell him. Please?" 

"Sure. Now get shit done out there!"