After the war (Solangelo)

Chapter 26: Hell

TRIGGER THE ENTIRE TIME

Time Skip 1 Month

Will's POV

"Nico!" I scream, getting impatient. "What?" He shouts from behind me. "Where were you?" I snap. "I was getting ready." he replies. My blood boils, and I just snap. There's no reason for it, but I just can't stand it anymore. He hasn't opened up to me! Does he still think no one cares?! I don't know why I'm so angry all of a sudden, but it's been building up, and I'm so done with his 'I don't care' personality towards me! "Do you always have to take so long?!" "Well I'm sorry!" He retorts, not sounding sorry at all. "You know what Nico? You can go to hell!!!" I yell fists clenched, swinging around to face him. I register the shock on his face, then anger, then. . . . Nothing. "I've already been." He replies, calm, and quietly, before stepping back onto the shadows. "No! Wait! Nico!" I yell, arm outstretched, but it's too late. He's gone. I groan in frustration. I'm so stupid. I walk out of the cabin with a sigh. So much for meeting my dad, and officially introducing Nico to him as my boyfriend.

Time Skip One Week TRIGGER

OK. Now it's enough. He hasn't come back and it's been a week! Only now am I starting to feel nervous, and a bit panicky. I walk into his cabin, shutting the door behind me, hoping maybe he'd shadow traveled back while I was at lunch. Nope. No one was here. I made my way over to the bathroom, to wash my face cold water to wake me up more. With Nico gone, I hadn't gotten much sleep. I walked in, and bent over the sink before gasping. Light pink spots dot the counter. I take a breath in, and smell iron. Blood. I'm making it an Apollo (kid) thing, about knowing it someone's sick, if something's blood, etc. I tense, and immediately open the medicine cabinet way to forcefully. All the blades are clean. I remember Nico saying he enjoys doing something called paper cutting. I dash out of the bathroom, heart racing, and throat clenched. I ran over to his art shelf, and running my hand behind things, I find the cool handle of an X-ACTO knife. I clench it, and with shaking fingers bring it out from behind the stack of paper. The strong smell of iron hits my nose, and I let out a whimper when I look at the blade, before letting out a scream and crumbling to my knees, hands shaking as I touch the blade and get the story of why the blood was on it. He'd been cutting since we got back from Tartarus, and even after he forgave me, he was still wary, and cutting became not only a stress reliever, but an addiction. I let out another scream, and suddenly I feel freezing hands on mine, slowly and carefully taking the razor from my shaking hands. Cold lips kiss my neck, and a bony and uncoordinated boy climbs into my lap. My hands immediately grasp tightly around his waist, afraid that if I let go, he'll leave again. Another kiss is pressed against my lips, and Nico's arms wrap around my neck, he's sitting in my lap like a baby. He presses his smooth lips to mine gently, and I kiss him back, but with more passion. His lips move with mine, our passion and emotions combining. We pull away, and I manage to gasp out one word. "Why?" He smiles tiredly, shrugging. "I stopped, before our fight. I-I was really struggling, and scared and I just, I felt like all we do is argue. And I felt like it was my fault. But I was able to stop, and I've been clean for a week." I took a deep breath, before standing up, Nico in my arms, bridal style. "I'm glad you're clean, but you still disobeyed your doctor's orders and shadow traveled. So, I'm bringing you to the infirmary." "Noooo Will!" Nico whined playfully, kicking his airborne feet. I couldn't help but chuckle, and avoided the puppy eyes Nico was throwing my way. I walked out of the cabin, and Nico reached behind my back, closing the cabin door. As I walked to the infirmary, there were shouts along the lines of: 'NICO'S BACK!' That caused lots of people to run over. In the commotion, people didn't notice that Nico was wearing a sweatshirt, in the hot weather. The seven reached the two boys first. Reyna had to stay at the Roman camp to take care of Praetor business, but she'll be informed shortly. Nico forced me to put him down, and when he was standing, Nico was engulfed in a hug, by Percy and Annabeth. Soon the rest of the seven joined, which Nico awkwardly accepted. When they pulled away, Hazel was able to pull her brother into a personal and emotional hug, which Nico returned wholeheartedly, and pressed a loving kiss to the girl's forehead. "All right people!" I yelled over the muttering. "We're all happy that he's back, but he did shadow travel, so he needs to get to the infirmary." I saw Nico roll his eyes out of the corner of my vision, but I ignored it. We fought their way out of the crowd, and finally reached the infirmary, where I promptly lead Nico back to the room that still had all of Nico's belongings in. I gently helped Nico lie down, and after drawing the covers up over Nico's legs, started his questions. "Take off your sweatshirt." Nico froze, before gently pulling it over his head. I gently took Nico's wrists, and flipped them, letting out a gasp at the crisscrossed slashes on the boy's arms. Most had scarred, but a few were still scabbed. "Let me get some ambr-" "No!" Nico interrupted, before flushing. "I've tried that. It-I don't think it works on self-inflicted wounds. It heals them until they scab, and any left over ambrosia still in the body hurts." Nico took a shaky breath before whispering, "It feels like I'm burning." I nodded. "Thanks for telling me." Nico nodded, not meeting my gaze. I pressed a kiss to the boy's forehead. "Can I-can I try to heal them?" Nico hesitated before holding out one arm. I gently held it, hovering one hand over the scars, his hand every-so-often brushing Nico's arm. Focusing on healing, I began to glow. Then, Nico screamed. I immediately stopped, pulling the shaking boy into my arms. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I said repeatedly, until I was cut off by Nico's lips. "I love you." Nico whispered, and my heart swelled. "I love you too Sunshine." Nico rolled his eyes. "Solace." He said. I blinked. "That's your new nickname." Nico explained. "Sun-baby felt to. . . . babyish." I shrugged. No one else called me by my last name, well, unless I'm in trouble, but still, so the nickname works. Nico's arms wrapped around my neck, pulling me down as Nico lay back. I got under the covers, and my black-haired boyfriend cuddled up to me, both of us falling asleep shortly after.