Death's Son (And All Its Jobs)

Chapter 7

Nico watched from the shadows, remaining unseen from anyone in the basement. Will Solace sat against a wall, chains around his wrists. They connected to the wall, making it look like a medieval dungeon rather than a basement. In his arms, he kept a small boy close to him.

Wonder who that is. Nico thought. That must have been the other soul I was sensing. That means their kidnapper isn't here.

That would explain why we haven't gotten attacked yet. Anubis replied. Keep your senses on alert.

Nico watched Will, knew by his boyfriend's body language that he was going to protect that toddler with his life. He couldn't help but smile at their differences. Nico, dark and dreary, with Will Solace, bright and optimistic. He was the good guy. Nico was always the bad guy.

"We're going to be okay." Will looked down at the toddler. "Don't you worry. We're going to be okay."

A hiccuping, crying mess, Will nor Nico could make out what the toddler said in return. After he spoke he buried his head in Will's chest, clung on to the son of Apollo.

"Didn't know you had a kid." Nico joked, stepping out of the shadows. Will jumped in surprise before relaxing when he saw Nico, smiling in relief.

"Nico, thank the gods." Will tugged at his chains. "Can't find a way to get out of these."

"How'd you get here?" Nico walked closer to Will, not noticing that with every step he made the kid cry even harder. "And who's your friend?"

"I can't understand him enough to hear his name." Will admitted. "I...I found him on the streets, by himself. No missing signs or anything. I think he was abandoned there."

Nico frowned sadly. "How'd you end up here?"

"I saw him from the diner. When to go check it out." Will explained. "After I picked him up...I don't know, everything went black. I think they hit my head or something. I woke up here."

Nico got the chains off him, letting them crash to the floor. "There you go. Is the kid hurt?"

Will shook his head. "Just scared."

"I don't blame him." Nico looked around them. "Should we leave or should we stay, try to figure out who this is?"

"I say leave." Will voted. "Get this kid to safety. We can always come back."

Anubis? What do you think?

I agree with Will. Anubis replied. Get that kid to safety.

"Okay, here it goes." Nico grabbed onto Will. "But we're coming back for information, okay?"

"Okay." Will agreed. "Just get us out of here."

"Can do." Nico shadow traveled them away, made sure to go somewhere safe. If Will was hellbent on protecting this kid, then he would be, too

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Will sat on the hotel bed, his blue eyes shining in the sun's light. The toddler was sitting on his lap, playing with the blankets. He had calmed drastically but hadn't smiled once.

"Hey, what's your name?" Will tried again. "Can you say it yet?"

He looked up at Will, chewing on the blanket absentmindedly. He spit them out of his mouth, two teeth showing. "Aye-on."

Will thought for a minute before smiling. "Peyton?"

"Ah!" he went back to chewing on the blanket. After a few minutes, he reached for Will's hair, getting a fistful of the blond locks. "Ello!"

Will winced. "Yeah, yellow. You like yellow?"

"Ah!"

Nico looked over from the other bed, having been having a conversation with Anubis mentally. "He looks like he's actually your kid."

Will blushed. "I...I don't...I never had...I'm gay..."

Nico laughed. "Calm down, I know he's not. I'm just saying."

Will smiled at Nico's laugh. "What are we going to do with him? We need to go back to that castle thing eventually."

"I know." Nico got to his feet and cracked his back. "But first things first. I'm starving. I'll go get food. You two can stay here."

Will looked nervous. "Nico..."

"I'll be careful. I have Anubis, remember?" Nico got his jacket on before stealing money from Will's bag. "I'll be right back."

"Fine, good luck." Will rubbed Peyton's back. "I'll be waiting."

"Alright, captain." Nico gave him a two-fingered salute before disappearing into the shadows, leaving Will alone with a toddler that tried to eat anything around him.

Sighing, Will moved some hair out of his face. Nico's comment, about the kid looking like his... It was a joke, just an innocent joke. But it made Will think, made his mind race.

He and Nico were getting older. Annabeth had mentioned that she and Percy were trying for a baby, Hazel had mentioned wanting one eventually.

Was that Nico's way of hinting that he also wanted one?

Will shook his head to clear his thoughts. He was being ridiculous. Nico didn't seem like a kid type of guy.

...right?