What If Three Days Meant Forever?

The Invitation

Nico POV

It's been three months since Monique found the parchment message from Leo.

We sent word to Camp Jupitar about it and Piper and Jason immediately jumped at the chance to help. They ended up spending the majority of September searching for Leo to no avail and Chiron eventually told them to just go and start the school year.

Will and I have been going steady so nothing really too big about us. Other than his accidentally slipping up and saying the "L-word" last week.

I won't go too much into that.

Though, for a while it seemed like there was something weighing him down. It started a few months ago and I hadn't had the courage to ask and eventually it sort of went away. Then it came back, but with a different vibe. He seems more stressed but not about anything regarding the infirmary.

I'm planning on bringing it up today.

It's a perfect morning with the sun shining and a slow time at the infirmary so what better time than the present, right? I walk out of my cabin wearing a black shirt with ripped skinny jeans.

I look around the camp, taking it all in. There's not too much going on this morning. The Ares kids are going against Mars kids in an arm wrestling match, the Dionysus and Bacchus kids are sharing different drinks, Aphrodite and Venus kids sharing beauty tips, and the few others that are still there and not at school are just hanging around.

I do a double take, spotting Will in all  the chaos around a table in front of the Ares Cabin, trying to break up a small tiff between two of the campers. As I walk, getting closer and closer, I begin to here some of their conversation.

"I'm tellin you, Will," Sherman Yang exclaims. "He. Cheated. He used both hands last second to beat me because he knew and still knows that he wasn't and isn't strong enough to beat me!"

"You tell 'em, Sherman!" Ellis Wakefield adds in.

"Alright, alright just," Will starts. "try not to put anymore campers in the infirmary, please. And make sure you guys aren't cheating and what not-" Will cuts himself off when he sees me, "and play fair and all that. Uh gotta go!" He races away from the table and over towards me.

Upon arriving, he rests his arm around my shoulders comfortably. As we walk away, I can hear some of the Aphrodite girls saying, "oooooohh! So cute!" as we walk by.

"So," Will starts as we get closer to my cabin, "What's up?"

"I could ask you the same question." As soon as the words leave my mouth, I want to sink into the ground. I could ask you the same question? It's a conversation, not an interrogation.

I blush as I hear Will lightly laugh and say, "Is that so?"

"What's been up with you?" I ask, desperate to change the subject.

"What do you mean?" I could hear the concern seeping into his voice.

"Lately you've been kind of stressed and don't say it's because of the infirmary." Will takes a stutter step in our walking pace before striding a little more briskly toward my door.

"I wouldn't dream of lying to you, angel." He says smoothly, though it's clear the laid back demeanor of the conversation is dissipating. 

"Will." I say in a warning tone as I go to unlock my door.

"That's my name." He says as I get the door open. I turn toward him, sigh, and grab his hand to sit him on my bed.

"What's going on?" I say calmly as I take a seat on the floor in front of him.