Will and Nico

Part 44

NICO

I knock at the Apollo door, but Will's youngest sister opens it.
'Hello who are you?' She asks.
'I'm...a friend of Wills.' I say.
'Prove it.' She says.
'I don't know how to do that.' I reply.
'What's his favourite snake?'
'I didn't know he had a favourite snake.' I lean into the room to look at him, 'Hey Will, what's your favourite snake?' I ask, but he ignores me, too busy trying to fit things into his suitcase.
'It's rattle.' She says, 'a friend would know that.'
'Okay, well I'm actually his boyfriend so there must be different rules.'
'That makes sense.' She says, satisfied with my answer. She lets me step inside.
'Thanks for the help.' I say sarcastically as I move over to Will's bunk.
'Uhuh.' He says, distracted.
'You're taking a lot.' I say, looking to his overflowing suitcase.
'Is it too much? I've never packed before.' He looks at me, clearly stressed. More stressed than when he has to save someone's life.
'A little too much.' I say, 'it's a weekend not a month.'
'What are you taking?' He asks.
'My sword. Some stuff Hazel left here.' I say. Will stares at me, bewildered.
'You're not taking anything?'
'Well I've got stuff there. I did sort of live there for a while. And I haven't been back properly to pick it up.' I say, just now realising it'd be my first time back there in years.
'Right. I should...I should pack less.' He turns back to his suitcase.
'Probably.' I kneel down to sift through what he's packed, 'you sit, I'll do it. I feel like you don't have a gift for packing.'
'And you do?'
'Kind of, Yeah. It's the silver lining of always being on the run. You get really good at packing.' I say, taking out half of the things he's packed instantly.
'Okay well, I trust you.' He says, reluctantly sitting back on his bed and letting me sort.