Things Have Changed

Chapter 1

Nico was lying in bed in his cabin. He didn't want to get up, he didn't want to do anything. Chiron was starting to worry for the child of Hade's. Nico hadn't eaten in days, or even get out of bed for that matter besides the minimal bathroom trips. He was curled up in blankets, and the one thing he held onto like it was the only thing keeping him alive. Will's hoodie.

Nico heard the knocking on his cabin door, he didn't answer the first time but after the second he was annoyed. "What!" His voice was weak, he hadn't talked to anyone since he came back from Tartarus. He sounded as if he was on the verge of tears. That was a constant for him, just endless sobbing while hugging the hoodie.

"Nico, I know you don't want to come out but you're going to have to come out at some point," Chiron spoke to him through the door, his voice was calm and collected. The younger had wondered had he was so calm about this. William Andrew Solace was dead. And he acted like this was nothing. He felt a pain in his chest. His heart being pulled.

"No.." He bit he lip trying not to cry. "I.. I don't want to come out" His voice cracked as he spoke. 'Dammit,' he thought. His vision got blurry as his eyes glossed over. His hands shook as he gripped the hoodie till his knuckles turned white. He heard something being placed in front of his door, then trotting. Chiron had left, a lone plate of food at his doorstep. Nico couldn't even think about eating a meal. The thought pained him, remembering all the times he sat and ate with Will. It just didn't feel right to him anymore.

The boy had seen and suffered with death many times before, but this one was different. He knew Will was gone, dead, for good. His mourning seemed to last forever. Even with Bianca's death he hadn't acted like this. He was persistent in bringing her back. But Nico knew better now than to try and bring the dead back to life. A small part of him still hoped he was alive somewhere, but he felt Will's life force drain away back in tartarus. He could feel his soul in the underworld. Maybe Will had chosen rebirth, that would be a Will like choice. But he also hoped he was just in Elysium so he could visit his soul. His thoughts were interrupted by his sobs. He hadn't even realized he was crying again. This was the cycle, thinking of WIll, sobbing, calming down, sleep, repeat.

He sat up, wiping the tears from his eyes. He slipped on the hoodie had been embracing. He stared into nothing for a moment trying to recollect himself. He began to stand up beofre falling over onto the ground. "Fuck-" His legs were weak, the comibation of not eating as well as laying in a bed for days did not help his case. He stood up again, with help from one of the bunk beds in the cabin. He slowly made his way over to the door, leaning on the bed frame to help him keep his blance. He opened the door, it squeeked and he whinced slightly. A headache formimg from his previous crying session. He picked up the plate of food and sat on the stairs of his cabin. The outside is something his body begged for. Besides, he couldn't find the energy to walk back to his bed. "Bedrotting is draining.." He looked down at the plate, easy foods. Mashed potatoes, apple sauce, mac and cheese, and a juice box. "Grape juice, it was always his favorite-"

Nico decided to start eating before he started crying again or someone came to interupt him. Considering the only people at camp were Chiron, Mr.D, Kayla, and Austin. He figured one of WIll's siblings might try to comfort him. Although, he knew he needed the comfort. He felt as if taking the comfort made him weak. Like he wasn't deserving of survival.

About 20 or so minutes later Nico’s plate of food was empty. He was surprised he ate it all, he didn’t even notice how much he was eating. “The food helped, thank the gods.” He started to get up again, holding onto the railing of the cabin porch. He was a bit lightheaded, nothing he wasn’t used to though. Just as Nico thought earlier, Kayla came up to him.
“Hey, I know it must be hard for you right now.. You were closer to him than I was.” She took into consideration how he knew Will for longer, it surprised the male.
“I-It is. But it must be hard for you to.”

Kayla suddenly rushed over to Nico and gave him a light hug before pulling away. “Sorry, I know you don’t like hugs but I could tell you needed one. Losing someone you love is hard. Its much harder when you’ve exprienced life threatening times with them. Nico, you’re one of the bravest people I know. You’re taking this like a champ even if you think you’re not. I mean take Achilles for example. He kept his lover's body. That’s kind of messed up. But you’re doing much better than that.” She looked up at the drained boy in front of her. Nico didn’t know what to say.

“You don’t have to say anything, your face says it all. Just know I’m always here ok. And please do go to the infirmary at some point soon, you really need a check up.” She chuckled at the last bit of her sentence before smiling at Nico and going back to the Apollo cabin.

“Right, mourning is normal. And Kayla is here for me.. It’s all so weird, I was so used to having him here and now suddenly he’s not here. I just wish there was something I could have done to save him..”