The Broken Light and the Broken Boy

Will you be my Solace?

If I had known what would happen next I wouldn't have fallen asleep. I shouldn't have fallen asleep.

I woke up to the sound of screaming.

I am selfish.

I jolt awake to the sound of a terrified scream. I look over at the bed next to me and find Nico asleep, curled up in a ball screaming for help. The other patients around me are craning and calling out to him asking if he's ok but he doesn't hear them and just continues to scream. My brother Austin is trying to stop several patients from getting up while trying to reach Nico. 

"STOP! YOU'RE HURTING THEM! BIANCA! NO STOP IT!" He sobs and curls up even tighter. I reach forward and lean on the side of the bed trying to shake him awake. 

"Hey! Deathboy! Wake up it's just a dream," he flinches away from my hands. 

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" He thrashes against the bed getting tangled in the sheets. "STOP IT! IT HURTS!" I glance outside and see the moonlight reflecting on the lake, at this rate all the cabins will be rushing here in no time. If Nico wakes to find the whole camp staring at him he'll be mortified. Desperate times call for desperate measures. 

"Everyone please, stay where you are, Austin I need you to go get Clovis." He nods and dashes out immediately. Without another thought I crawl onto the bed and look down on the boy lashing out against his nightmare, still screaming at the top of his lungs. "Nico! Hey!" I reach down and pin his hands against the bed to stop him from knocking me on the head. 

"LET GO OF ME! His tears run down his face not giving up. 

"Nico, hey listen to me, it's me, Will," I try keeping my voice as happy as it can. His thrashing becomes weaker. I'm getting through to him. "Come on Deathboy wake up, Jason, Hazel, Percy, Annabeth, their all waiting for you to wake up and hang out." At the mention of the other demigods, he loosens up, his thrashing becoming a small strain to push me off. "Come on Nico open your eyes, it's ok, I'm here waiting for you," I meant every bit of it. It must have had some effect on him because his eyes started to flutter open showing his coffee-coloured eyes full of fear. 

"W-will?..." he faltered quietly realising he was no longer stuck in his nightmare anymore.

"Hey deathboy."

Tears continue to flow down his face as he looks around at the room. "I'm so so sorry everyone," his voice, although barely a whisper, travels around the room and is returned with several versions of 'it's fine it happens'. "W-Will? Can we go to the bathroom?..." Under normal circumstances, that question would have raised several alarms and weird question but I just nodded and slid off the bed to help him up. Nico walks off I stay behind, 

"Go back to sleep everyone and if any of you are still awake by the time Austin returns please ask him and Clovis to wait." I heard several confirmations and continued to walk to the bathroom. When I get there Nico is sitting in the same spot when I had my little... inconvenience. I sit down beside him trying to not ruin this by remembering how I woke up last time. "Nico? When you're ready, do you wanna talk about it?" I try to keep any pity out of my face and tone and smile softly trying to reassure him. 

"I-I don't think so..." He shivered as if the dream was still playing out in his mind. 

"I won't push you but Solace isn't my last name for no reason ya know," I try to lighten the mood and it works slightly as a faint smile plays over the other boy's lips. He looked down as if he was deep in thought. "Only when you're ready deathboy," I try to sound as encouraging as I can without pushing too much. Truth is I wanted to help. He was there for me even when I didn't want help. It was time to return the favour if he'd let me. We sat there for who knows how long but I wasn't growing impatient, I knew if he wanted to talk to me he would, if not I'd get someone he would want to talk to. So, I'll wait, I'll wait so he knows I'm here for him.

"Will?... I... I think I'm ready" He still doesn't meet my eyes but I can see that his tears have stopped for now. 

"I want you to be able to talk to me but if you'd rather Hazel or Jason or anyone just let me know so I can go get them," I pointed out still keeping my tone light. 

"No... I think I-I want to talk to you, will you be my solace?" At first, I am shocked, stunned, stupefied for once I felt like Percy Jackson, my confusion dies quickly and I beam at the boy next to me. 

"Nice pun there didn't think you had it in ya." He smirks slightly, even in times like this being able to joke around proves how strong he is. "I would be honoured Nico... although I have one condition," He looks up at me his brows knit in confusion. 

"Di Angelo, will you be my friend?" 

Heyo!

Ok, ok I know this is a really short chapter compared to the last few and I'm soooo sorry, but I am also currently trying to figure out the main storyline and events so I can make longer chapters and hopefully help it all make sense. 

Also thank you guys soooo much for almost 50 reads! Out of context, this number is pretty small but to think even 1 person read my story I just feel so happy so thank you again xx

Love you all 

- Author xx

P.S. I went back to the previous chapters after re-reading them and finding I've made some mistakes or something didn't sound how I wanted it to so if you wanna go back and read them hopefully It'll sound better than before TwT If you don't want to it won't affect the story very much at all.