Will and Nico

Part 40

WILL

However much I normally hate Nico's cabin, it was the best nights sleep I had in a long time. Dark and quiet and enough to get me feeling a lot better.
I hear the door open in the back of my head, not quite awake yet. But after a second I open my eyes, and see Nico.
'Did I wake you?' He asks, sitting on Hazel's bed.
'No, I was half awake.' I say, 'what's the time?'
'Two.'
'PM?' I ask, surprised.
'Well I'm hardly going to wake you up at two AM, am I?' He says. I can tell he's in a bad mood.
'Bad nights sleep?' I ask.
'Not the best.'
'Come hug me and tell me all about it.' I say. Nico smiles a little and gets under the duvet beside me. His eyes are bloodshot, and there are bags under his eyes. I can tell any sleep he got was restless.
'I was completely under Zeus' thumb.' Nico says, 'as soon as I walked in, he had so much more power over me.'
'I thought everyone was getting along now?' I ask.
'Getting along is putting it very optimistically.' Nico says, 'he puts up with me. He doesn't kill me. But when I go into his cabin, it's like if I chose to fly, it's walking right into his territory. It's like I'm asking to be messed with.'
'So nightmares?' I ask, expecting the usual.
'Of a sort.'
'What does that mean?'
'He just made me relive the whole Cupid thing. Being forced to come out and all.' He says, not meeting my eyes.
'Wow. Zeus is an asshole.' I say, and Nico looks at me suddenly, surprised.
'Will, you can't say that.' He says.
'Why not? You say it all the time. And it's true.'
'Yeah, but he already hates me. I don't want him having a vendetta against you too.' He counters.
'Hey.' I say softly, joking, 'I'm in this for the long haul. Your enemies are my enemies.'
He laughs, 'I hardly think that's a fair deal. I have a lot more enemies than you.'
'Okay, your enemies are my enemies, but you have to be nice to my siblings and eat vegetables.' I say.
'Deal.' He says. He laughs a little, but goes back to staring at nothing.
'It messed with you, didn't it?' I ask.
'A little.' He admits.
'You don't have to come out to anyone else until you're ready. I know you're scared of being outed again, but it's up to you. No one's going to out you again.' I say.
'I want to.' He says, 'I'm going to. It's just...I don't know. It still scares me.'
'I know.' I say, 'and that's okay.'