luce del sole (sunshine)

twelve | nico

Nico studied Will. The son of Apollo was snuggled into Nico's pillow, and Nico used Will's arm as his own. He was smiling in his sleep, his lips slightly parted as he took small breaths. Nico pushed Will's long hair out of his face and allowed himself a moment to appreciate Will's soft features. 

Will had tons of freckles. Nico had never been able to gather any himself, but that was probably because he never spent time outside. The blond boy's eyelashes were long, too. They curled up against his eyelids. When Nico let his hair fall back, it settled against his nose. When Will let out breaths, his hair blew away. 

Suddenly, Will's hand on the back of Nico's neck shifted. Will let out a grunt and opened his eyes. 

Cornflower blue eyes hit Nico like a train. He'd never realized how beautiful Will's eyes were until then. Maybe that was because of Will's confession of thinking Nico was extraordinary...but Nico thought he'd just never looked at them before. 

Will gave Nico a small smile and sat up in his chair, stretching as he did so. His shirt rose and exposed a toned stomach Nico hadn't expected from the doctor. Nico's own chest was still bare, with a heating pad laid across it. Will must have added that after he fell asleep that morning. 

"What time is it?" Will's voice was still husky with sleep. 

Nico shifted in his cot and pulled the pillow back to himself. "I don't know, you're the doctor."

Will eyed the clock on the other wall. He pursed his lips. "Little past six. We slept for like... ten hours. Gods know you need it." He rubbed Nico's shoulder as he stood. 

"You need it to," Nico muttered at his retreating back.

Will smirked over his shoulder, but didn't say anything. 

Kayla strutted into the room with Lou Ellen on her heels. "Hey, guys," both girls echoed. 

"Hey," Will called from where he'd disappeared behind a wall. "Is it time for dinner?"

Lou Ellen had a sly smile on her face, and Kayla pushed the smaller girl behind her. "Yes. We've come to wake you up. You've been asleep since you woke up this morning."

"How is Elise?" Nico piped in. 

Lou Ellen came to his side and held out his crutches to him. Nico regarded them coolly. He wasn't sure he'd be allowed to go to dinner, and if he did he didn't want to be using those sorry excuses of medical equipment.

"She's doing amazing. Percy and Tyson helped her into the Poseidon cabin today. Annabeth, Piper, and Hazel gave her the tour. She really fits in," Kayla called. She was making her way around the wall to where Will was. 

"Hey!" Will chided as a crash sounded. "Oh, I thought you were Lou Ellen."

"Lou Ellen is over there, helping Nico out of bed. Come on, doc, change faster."

Oh, so that's where Will had disappeared. Nico looked down at his own clothes. They hung on him, but they were Will's. Nico kind of liked the feeling. 

"Nico is not going to dinner," came Will's reply. "What are you thinking, Kayla?" He'd quieted his voice, but the infirmary echoed like a cave. Nico would be able to hear him if he was whispering in her ear. 

"I think him getting back into a routine may help," she answered, not trying as hard as her brother to keep their conversation private. "Austin thinks the same thing."

"He almost disappeared again last night," Will hissed, then added, "Can you hand me that shirt?", like they weren't conversing something important.