Will and Nico

Part 49

WILL

I wake stupidly early. A downside of being an Apollo kid - the sun having way too much power over my sleeping patterns.
I take myself outside, into the camp. Everyone seems so at home; so many people and such different ages. It's odd.
I find my way back to the dining area and help myself to breakfast. I think of Nico. Where he is, how he's feeling.
Hardly anyone is awake, so I wait and watch the sunrise until more and more people arrive.
'Mind if I sit?' I turn and see Nico behind me.
'Hey.' I say. Hazel is behind him. He sits beside me and Hazel sits opposite.
'She knows.' He says. I turn to him, surprised.
'Knows what?' I ask, just in case.
He kisses me, quickly and lightly, 'she knows.' He says again.
I turn to Hazel, and feel my cheeks heating up. I suddenly don't know how to react around her.
'So you're dating my brother.' She says.
'I...yes.' I say, awkwardly.
'You've definitely got your work cut out for you.' She says, 'he's almost died more times than any of us combined.'
'It's a personal achievement.' He says, taking a bite of his croissant.
'He's told me about some of them.' I say.
'He doesn't like when I talk about it like an achievement.' Nico says to Hazel, 'it makes him uncomfortable.'
'I think it's pretty normal that I don't like the idea of you dying.' I say in my defence.
'He's got a point.' Hazel agrees.
'You guys are just jealous.' He says.
Frank comes up behind Hazel, and joins the table.
'Morning.' He says, yawning.
'Hey.' Hazel says, 'you remember Will.'
'Yeah, Nico's friend.' Frank says, 'hey.'
'Nico's boyfriend.' I correct, 'technically.'
I see Nico grin. Frank looks up and narrows his eyebrows, 'I don't know if this is a test.' he says.
'It is.' Nico says, his voice turning dark and ominous.
'I...don't...um...' Frank looks to Hazel for guidance.
'You have three seconds.' Nico says quickly, enjoying Frank's discomfort.
'Until what?!' Frank asks, panicking.
'Oh stop teasing him, Nico.' Hazel says. Nico's face goes from ominous back to normal in an instant. He takes another bite of his food.
'So that was a joke?' Frank asks warily.
'No, he is gay and Will is his boyfriend but it's not a test.' Hazel clarifies.
'Okay.' Frank says, 'that's...cool. Okay. So you're really dating Nico?' he asks me.
'What's that supposed to mean?' Nico asks, clearly loving to back Frank into corners.
'Give him a break.' I say, placing my hand on his arm.
'Yes, I'm dating Nico.' I say.
'Huh.' Is all he says, 'cool.'
'Cool.' I say back.
'Who do you think would win in a fight?' Nico asks Hazel, 'Will or Frank?'
'Can Will turn into animals?' Hazel asks.
'Wait, you can turn into animals?' I ask Frank.
'Now and then.' He says.
'No,' Nico says in answer to Hazel's question, 'but he knows which plants are poisonous so...pretty even odds so far.'
'Only one way to find out.' I say. They all look to me, 'I'm joking.' I say quickly.
'Shame.' Nico says, 'that would have been an interesting fight.'
'Hardly.' I say, 'I can barely hold your sword, let alone fight with it.'
'He's let you hold his sword?' Hazel asks surprised, 'Nico, what's gotten into you?!'
'Is that rare?' I ask.
'He hates people using his sword. Or touching any of his stuff.' Hazel says, 'I can barely get away with it.'
'Alright, let's move on.' Nico says quickly.
'He must really like you.' Hazel says to me.
'Move on!' Nico insists. His cheeks are going red. I can't help but smile. I move so I can hold his hand under the table. We move on.