Time heals

Will POV

Ever since I'd realised, it was hard to stop thinking about. I tried my hardest to block it out because I knew nothing could ever happen between Nico and I. He was traumatised and unhealthy, and all he needed right now were friends. Part of me knew that if I kept being his friend, it would just get harder for me, but I also knew that I didn't want to be apart from him. It wasn't like I was in love or anything. It was just a crush, like any other I'd had before. Maybe it would go away.

But somehow, I doubted it. And if I'd had any hope of that, it had definitely been crushed when we'd sparred the other day. I had replayed the moments one too many times, when we'd gotten close, Nico's expressions of concentration and how it felt to laugh with him on the floor of the arena. It didn't matter how I felt either way though. My duty was to help heal him and to help him realise that he had a place at this camp. I could do that.

Chiron had organised a training activity today. It was partly for fighting practice, and partly for the safety of the camp. We were supposed to pair up and scout out the grounds looking for openings to the labyrinth. Just the word gave me bad memories from a few years ago when my brother had died defending Luke's army. But when the heroes from the Argo II had arrived back, they'd unfortunately told us that the labyrinth may be growing again, spreading its evil across the entire world, infesting the ground beneath us like a second skin. We did not want any unprotected entrances to our camp and so we had to find them before something or someone else did.

"Has everyone got a partner?" Chiron's voice boomed across the crowd, which was quite substantial despite the recent war.

I stood on the edge near the tree line. I usually participated in camp activities, but today, I didn't really feel like it. I always had the excuse of 'the campers will need a combat medic on hand if they get into danger'. I rarely used it, but my head wasn't in the best place given... everything.

"You need a partner, Nico," I heard Jason's voice whisper. He, Piper and Nico were standing a few feet away from me, four other people between us.

"I can train on my own," Nico replied back while Chiron was highlighting the importance of the activity.

"Or you can come with us," Piper offered. "I'm sure Chiron won't mind one group of three."

Nico seemed to think about it but then shook his head. "I said I'll be fine on my own."

I was about to make my way over to them when Chiron's voice said, "Let's go!"

Everyone dispersed, disappearing into the woods and I let out a sigh of relief. It was better this way because now I didn't have any temptation. I scolded myself for even considering it. Just because Nico had needed a partner, I had been ready to barge through the crowd shouting, 'Pick me! I'll go with you!' And what had I expected him to do? Look at me with that expression he seemed to only save for Jason? For him to give me a smile of gratitude? Recognition?

As if. I was glad Chiron had interrupted my idiotic thoughts. There was no way-

"Will?"

I swung around so quickly, I almost bonked my head on a tree branch. The sight of Nico standing there behind me, saying my name hit me just as hard.

"Hey. Hello. Nico," I stammered. I felt weird seeing him in person after he'd been in my thoughts practically non stop since the war. It was like every time I saw him, I'd realise that my memory of his face didn't do him justice at all. Even my imagination couldn't come close to how-

Gods, stop, I chided myself.

"What are you doing?" he asked curiously. His eyes bore into mine like he could read my thoughts. I took great comfort in the fact that he could not.