Just Solangelo Things

By Your Side

Will sometimes looks at Nico. Just looks.
Sometimes he'll see him sleeping with a firm set jaw, or trying to hide a smile against his wrist. Sometimes he'll see him concentrated over scribbles and piles of plans, papers, contracts. A little trouble in the Underworld, he'll say, and accept the cup of coffee gratefully and continue with furrowed eyebrows.

Will sometimes looks at Nico and he's in pain, lips tight and eyes screaming. It's always in the middle of the night when a rustling wakes him up and he blinks through the inky black of the Hades Cabin to see him sitting, hunched into himself on the bed. He sees anguish filling every crevice of his head and tongue begging to be let loose, but his hands remain clenched shut and his chest forced steady. It's always Sorry I woke you, Will. Go back to sleep, I'm going to go take a walk.

One day, they're sitting on the roof, watching the campfire rise into the night sky, and he suddenly has the urge to ask.

"Why are you so sad?"

Nico doesn't turn his head, and the only indication that he heard those words was the stiffness that suddenly runs through their touching shoulders.

"Why is anyone sad?"

Will thinks. And blanches.

"No one chooses to be sad, Will. There's no reason, there's no one to blame. We're just demigods, we were born to take the hit for the Gods. There's not point in discussing it or asking why, it's not going to make it disappear."

"You're allowed to be vulnerable sometimes," Will whispers. Like it's a secret, like it isn't something that they should already know. "You're allowed to let yourself be taken care of."

"That never works," Nico tucks his chin on his knees and brings up his arms around them. "It's human nature to survive. In the end, if you're faced with a threat you always put yourself first. Being dependent on someone makes you their second priority."

Will feels cold all over. "That's a sad way to think."

"Well, maybe that's the answer to your question."

They pause, and the sky gets a little darker. The noise dies down to a pleasant buzz as campers head to their cabins or huddle around the fire.

"You know, if it was you, me, and an acid spitting, two hundred foot invincible metal monster, I would protect you over myself."

Nico shakes his head looks down. "Gods help us both then, because you're hopeless when it comes to fighting."

"Fine," Will rolls his eyes. "I'll volunteer to be spat on first. You can run in the meantime."

"Or," Nico drawls, finally lifting his head and smirking. "You can leave the fighting to me and I'll let you patch me up afterwards."

Will nods. "Deal. But you have to promise to be alive enough for me to patch you up, okay?"

"Sure. I'll bring you the head as a war prize."

"My knight in shining armor," Will laughs. "Bringing me a gigantic metal monster head as a war prize. I'll make sure to use it well. Maybe I'll make stew and feed the village for another month."

Nico finally breaks at that, and their laughter rings through the clear air. They sigh contentedly with the crackle of the fire in the distance and the rush of waves behind them.

"Will?"

He smiles and turns. "Hm?"

"Thank you."

There's many expressions he's seen on Nico Di Angelo, but none of them compare to the warm, beautiful smile he sees now.

"Thank you," Will replies.

"For what?"

"For smiling. For not choosing to be sad. For promising to always come back to me in one piece. All that fine print."

Nico leans his head on his shoulder. "Let's hope we never encounter an acid spitting, two hundred foot invincible metal monster in our lifetimes."

"That's too bad," Will puts his head on top of Nico's. "I was looking forward to that metal monster head."

"Shut up, you'd probably just feel bad and try to resuscitate it."

Sometimes Will looks at Nico and thinks, Gods, I would protect him with my life, and I know he would too.

"What're you looking at me like that for? It's gross, put it away."

Yeah, I love him.