Don't Let Me Go

***SPOILERS FOR THE BURNING MAZE AHEAD***
*****TW: Character Death*****

---Nico---

Nico di Angelo was in a good mood. Sure, a lot of weird shit had been going on at camp lately-Leo was back from the dead, his boyfriend's recently de-imortalized father had recently stopped by camp as the servant of a crazy kid and saved missing campers from old trees, and some new evil group was out to destroy the world again-but at this exact moment the Son of Hades was content.

As he and Will ducked into cabin 13, stifling giggles and narrowly avoiding patrol harpies, Nico felt calmer than he had in years. Will walked backwards towards his bunk and pulled the smaller boy on top of him as he fell back onto the black sheets. Will's smile was radiant and infectious; his azure eyes sparkled as they held his boyfriend's espresso ones. The blonde boy looked perfect, and Nico couldn't help but lean forward and pull him into a kiss. If possible, Will's smile grew as he wrapped his arms around Nico and pulled him closer. The Italian's gentle pink lips on his own made Will's heart melt, and Nico let out a soft sigh as Will wove his left hand into his dark hair and moved the other to his lower back, just beneath his shirt, and pulled their bodies together.

Nico gently bit Will's lower lip, smirking, and began to kiss his way across the Son of Apollo's sharp jawline and down his neck, nipping at the skin just beneath his camp t-shirt's collar. Will responded with a gasp and tightened his grip on the Italian's hair but suddenly Nico froze. A familiar and horrifying feeling buzzed in his ears and tugged at his gut and the feeling only to continued to grow. The blonde gently sat up and lightly pushed his boyfriend back just enough to look at him.

The Son of Hades was beginning to tremble, eyes swirling with fear and tears beginning to gather. Nico seemed to crack under Will's concerned gaze. The color seemed to drain from his face. "No..." he whimpered softly.

"Neeks, what's wrong?" Will attempted to pull his boyfriend back to reality but he continued to stare right through him, consumed by something terrible. "Nico?"

No response. "Angel?"

"... His life... he's fadi-," Nico began, but suddenly the feeling burned through his entire body, then stopped abruptly and left him with a horrible and consuming emptiness. It was done.

---Will---

Nico cut himself off with a pained mix of a sob and a scream and Will instinctively wrapped his arms around the smaller boy who immediately reciprocated, clinging to his boyfriend like his life depended on it. He looked so innocent and so fragile as he tucked his head against Will's shoulder and began to sob without restraint into his blue shirt.

"Love?" Will questioned as he pulled the shaking boy closer and began softly running his fingers up and down Nico's spine knowing the human contact and warmth would help soothe him.

The Italian swallowed thickly, sitting up again to look at his boyfriend. "Will, it- it's Jason." And then Nico broke again, sinking into Will's embrace. His heart ached for his boyfriend. He was just beginning to recover, to trust again and make friends, to believe he isn't cursed to lose everyone he loves, and now he's lost one of his dearest friends. The powerful Ghost King now looked less regal and fierce and more like the scared kid he was as he trembled with grief in the arms of his Amore. "I felt his soul leave his body, Sunshine. I felt Thanatos take him to the Underworld. He's gone, Will. I- cazzo..." Nico dissolved into a string of curses and panicked ramblings in Italian. "Non posso farlo di nuovo," he whispered. I can't do this again.

Will kept silent for a while, letting Nico get his emotions out. The Son of Hades rarely let himself open up but the unexpected death of one of the few people he trusted had torn a hole in his defenses. This new grief had surely ripped open his old wounds and stirred up painful memories. The buzzing in his ears overwhelming his senses, the burning cold and then empty feeling of Jason Grace's spirit being ripped from the Earth and into his father's domain, his innate sense of Jason's location in the Underworld, had been overwhelming for him. Nico had described the feeling to Will once before-he had just lost a patient and had clung to the Son of Hades for reassurance that it wasn't his fault and the spirit was at rest. Nico had kept him calm and comforted him, and he couldn't help but ask what death felt like.

"We'll get through this, Nico." Will's heart cracked with each sob his Angel let slip and could only hold the boy he loved tighter.

"It hurts too much, Will... I can't handle this." His voice was shaking and muffled as he hid his face against Will, barely speaking loud enough for the other boy to hear him.

Will was also shaken by the news of Jason's death. He'd become a good friend of Will's through Nico. It was sobering to learn that a demigod as strong as Jason Grace had fallen, and it was terrifying to see a demigod as strong as Nico di Angelo so broken with grief. He was devastated and afraid, so Will did what he does best in moments of crisis and took care of others

"I know, Angel," Will murmured gently, "I can't promise that it will be okay. I know it isn't, but I promise we will get through this together. I'm sorry I can't take the pain away, but this time you won't have to mourn alone. Prometto."

Nico turned his head slightly to press his lips to Will's neck in a soft butterfly kiss. He smiled a very small but pained smile against the freckled skin at his boyfriend's use of Italian to comfort him. It always melted his heart and softened his harsh edges when Will spoke his native tongue, despite the fact that his soft southern accent resulted in poor pronunciation. Nico slowly leaned back and Will gently lifted his hand to wipe the tears from his pale cheeks and brush the hair from his face. Nico's dark eyes were red and puffy, but his shaking had mostly stopped. "He's in Elysium," Nico whispered. "We have to tell Chiron, and Percy, and the camp... I don't know if I can do this, Sole."

Will leaned forward and brushed Nico's long hair from his forehead and placed a gentle kiss there, hugging his boyfriend tightly. "Hey, shhh Angel. We can tell Chiron and go tell Percy tomorrow. I'll stay by your side if you want. For tonight just rest and take some time to process it and let yourself feel before worrying about everyone else. For tonight it's just you and me. Doctor's orders. Tell me what you need, love."

Nico looked up at Will and pulled him in for a slow, passionate kiss. The Italian's lips were gentle as they pressed against Will's and tasted of his leftover tears. The two boys poured all their love and pain and fear and comfort into their kiss until they pulled apart just enough to breathe, still barely touching lips. Will could feel the movement as Nico barely whispered "Don't let me go."

"Never."

"Ti amo, Sole mio."

"Ti amerò per sempre, Angelo mio."

And for the first time, Nico di Angelo didn't grieve his loved ones alone.