Solangelo

Chapter Seven

Will was on one side of the room and Nico on the other, they were sleeping in different beds and practically breathing different air but Nico still felt his presence. It was comfortable.

It was so comfortable and Nico hadn't slept in so long that his eyes started to shut. No, stay awake. But he couldn't and he closed his eyes, sleep rushing to meet him, nightmares following suit.

Will was staring at the ceiling of the Hades cabin, trying not to think about Nico when he heard the first 'No.' He turned and Nico had fallen asleep. He was shaking and crying and when Will shook him he didn't wake up. "Nico! Hey! Nico!" He shook him harder to no response and suddenly Nico shot up, eyes scared and tearful.

When Nico saw Will he didn't know what he thought, "Are you okay? Nico? Look at me and tell me. It's okay. Those were just bad dreams. No one can hurt you. I promise. I won't let-" Nico wrapped his arms around Will and after a second Will hugged back.

Nico was shaking like a leaf, still partly in another world. It hurt Will to see someone so tortured. it hurt Will to see Nico so tortured. "Can you please sleep with me?" Will rubbed his back in circular motions. it was supposed to be the easiest way to calm people down, "I don't want nightmares. not again. Please." And so Will climbed into Nico's coffin and the two were closer together than ever.

Will held Nico till he stopped shaking and after and eventually both of them drifted off to sleep, Will's warmth making Nico unable to resist. But now he didn't have nightmares. The son of Apollo and the son of Hades slept in the same bed and it was the best sleep they ever had, the latter held tight in the former's embrace.

When they woke up in the morning, Nico looked around and then down. He saw Will's arm wrapped around his shoulder and then he saw Will, sleeping peacefully. Little puffs of air escaping his nose as he exhaled and Nico almost died. His morning hair was messy and with the little sunlight filtering in through the curtain, it looked like a halo. His name meant Nico the angel but it was Will who was the angelic one, so beautiful in the day as well as night.

Will started to stir and Nico pretended to sleep. He felt Will shift, his body held up by one arm, the other still wrapped around Nico and then collapse, pulling him in closer. He could feel Will looking at him.

When Will looked opened his eyes, he saw who he held close and never wanted to move again. Nico was pressed against his chest and held the by an arm that had unconsciously wrapped itself onto him, pulling him closer. His mind was a haze but through it one word made its way. Beautiful. And that is what Nico was. Nico was the most beautiful person Will had ever seen and he could stare at him forever.

Nico's breathing pattern started to change and he opened his eyes, blinking the sleep out of them and Will could have been the luckiest man in the world to see this. He definitely would pray to Ganymede, the god of homosexuality, and thank him for this heaven. His raven hair was in his his eyes, a single strip of light making them appear a work of art, rich brown and a million shades of gold.

Nico had actually fallen asleep. Gods, Will had the effect on him. He was comfortable with Will. More comfortable than he had been with anyone in a while and his body thought the relaxation of his muscles meant sleep. Will was looking at him, ocean eyes full of something Nico couldn't place. Then he cleared his throat, cheeks flushing a bright red and Nico was jerked  back to reality. Will was straight.

As Will look at Nico he knew he was very very gay. He liked Nico, probably more than he ever like anyone before. Nico's cheeks were a flaming red and Will realised he was probably ashamed to have slept with him. it wasn't the straightest thing to do, so he got out of the coffin, heart breaking into pieces. "I've gotta go to the infirmary but the door's always open, Nico."
"Are you asking me to get injured."
"No. No. Please do not get injured, that would be bad. Just- you can drop by if you feel like it." He was pretty sure that he looked like a tomato and practically ran out of the cabin.

That day he took a bath in the infirmary and then spent all day tending to injured campers. Nico didn't drop by.