Solangelo 1

Part 34

WILL

I get started fixing Nico up, beginning to stitch up his wounds. It hits me half way through that he hasn't complained once. I look up to see if he's okay, but his face is calm. The only sign he's in any discomfort is the fact that his left hand grips at the side of the bed.
'You alright?' I ask, unused to this blasé response to pain.
'Yeah, fine.' He says, 'shouldn't I be?'
'No. I mean, yes. Doesn't it hurt?' I ask, continuing to stitch.
'I...kind of? It doesn't really...I don't know. I guess I'm used to it.' He says.
'You're used to it?' I ask, finishing off.
'Yeah. I've had this done so many times now. It doesn't bother me.' He says, sitting up as I finish wrapping his leg up with a bandage.
'You must have the highest pain tolerance of anyone I've ever met.' I say, shaking my head.
'Yeah, well.' He says, looking away for a moment, 'I feel like I deserve that at least.'
I look up at him and realise I've hit a nerve. I think of all the scars I saw on his back. He's right; there's a reason he has a high tolerance for pain. He's been through it all.
'Sorry.' I say, sitting on the bed beside him, 'I didn't think.'
'It's fine.' He says, but his voice is low. He doesn't meet my eyes.
'Nico-' I start, but he cuts me off.
'I don't like this.' He says, sharply. Firmly.
'Like what?' I ask.
'How much I rely on you. I mean. Not like. Gods.' He closes his eyes and brings his head into his hands, covering his face.
'What do you mean?' I ask, trying to pull his hand away.
'You were gone for two hours. Literally only two hours. And I...I...Gods, I didn't know what to do. I just...I freaked out. I couldn't...' He says, standing up suddenly and turning away.
'Hey, hey.' I say, taking his hand and standing up. I pull him round to face me. He looks to the floor, 'I'm okay. You're okay. It's fine.'
'But what happens if something happens? If...if you...Gods.' He shakes his head and rests it against my chest. I'm taken aback, not used to Nico being this emotional. I hold him tight.
'Nothing will happen. We'll be okay.' I say, lifting his chin up so that he's looking at me. His eyes are red, and I see pure fear in them.
'I didn't...this is why I didn't have people. I lost them. I don't like losing people.' He says, his voice light and weak.
'What's the point to life if you don't have people to lose.' I say, refusing to look away from him, 'you don't get to leave me now. You don't get to freak out on me. This is it. Maybe I will die. Maybe you will. But until then, all I know is that I am stupidly, unexplainably in love with you.'
'Shut up.' He says, blushing and pulling away slightly. But I hold him tight and smile at his awkwardness.
'Nico DiAngelo. Do you know how pretty you are?' I ask and his eyebrows knit, he's trying to be annoyed.
'You're being annoying.' He says, but he smiles slightly.
'You are the single most beautiful person I've ever met.' I say, holding him around the waist. I sit down on the bed and he stays standing, looking down at me, cupping my head in his hands.
'I don't know how this happened.' He says, 'I don't know how I met you or how this happened.'
'Neither do I.' I say, 'but it's great isn't it?'
'It's alright.' He says, but I pull him tighter and he laughs, looking away, 'it is good. It's very good.' He pauses and stops smiling, just stares at me, with no fear in his eyes, 'you're the best thing to happen to me for a very long time.'
'Don't you forget it.' I say, but he cuts me off, kissing me and pushing me back onto the bed. We're kissing for less than ten seconds when the curtains are drawn back and Nico splits away from me quicker than I've ever seen him move.
'Wow. Right. I saw nothing.' Reve says looking away momentarily, laughing slightly, 'Just wanted to ask where the spare bandages were.'
'Cupboard at the back.' I say, 'top left.' He looks back to me and smirks, raises his eyebrows. Nico has practically dissolved into the corner, fiddling with some pill bottles in the corner, acting like he's doing something. I smile slightly at him, then look back to Reve.
'Any word on Kayla?' I ask, and his face falls.
'Not yet.' He says. Nico stops what he's doing and turns around, looking to Reve.
'She hasn't come back?' He asks.
'No. They haven't found her.' Reve replies.
'I'll go look.'
'Nico, no. Absolutely not. You're not strong enough.' I say, standing back and grabbing his arm before he shadow travels without me.
'Will, this is your sister. I'm stronger now. I'll take it slow. I'll come back if I feel faint. Let me go.' He says, staring at me intently. I can see Reve in the corner of my eye, watching us disagree. A lot of my siblings have talked to me about Nico, how he still scares them. But I hold my own.
'I can't lose you too.' I say, quietly. Nico tenses slightly, his eyes soften.
'You won't lose me. I promise. But I can cover more distance way quicker than everyone else out there. You have to let me go. This is what I do, Will, I'm on the front line.' He says. We stare at each other, having a silent argument.
'Reve, get some Ambrosia and Nectar.' I say and Reve rushes off and is back in an instant.
'You take this after every other stop you make, alternate between the two. The second, and I swear to Gods Nico I mean the second, that you feel faint, you come straight back here. You don't risk it. You don't do that. You come straight back here.' I hold his wrist tightly, still not letting him go off, 'do you understand?' I say, fiercely and intently.
He smiles slightly, a crooked, unsure smile. He nods, 'I understand.'
I brush his hair out of his eyes, something that's becoming a habit for me. He moves forward and kisses me, slowly and lightly. I close my eyes.
'Stay safe.' I say, and then he falls into the shadows, out of the room, miles away. I stay as I am, facing where he stood.
'Gods, that kid is scary. Don't know how you do that, Will.' Reve says, shaking his head, 'of all the boys, and he's the one you like?'
'He's not that scary.' I say, not looking to him. I can feel Reve staring at me, not knowing what to say. We don't often have proper talks, both fairly dissimilar to the other.
'He'll come back. He's crazy strong. I saw him fighting in the war and...yeah. He'll come back. And he'll find Kayla. It'll work out.' Reve says. I smile slightly, sadly. Reve leaves after a moment, but I sit on the bed, waiting for Nico to return.