ask-will-and-nico

[ask-will-and-nico]

Nico sighed, content, and leaned onto Will's shoulder. "That'd be nice. Thanks." Will wrapped an arm around Nico's shoulders. "Hey, what are boyfriends for?"

-

Nico smiled. "I'd love that. Do you have anything that's not, um... Y'know, dinosaurs? Not that I don't like them, but... I don't think I can handle that kind of fear right now." Will nodded. "Hmm... What about... A League of Their Own?" He asked. Nico shrugged. "What's it about?" "It's a baseball movie." Nico sighed. "That doesn't really answer my question, but... Sure. It sounds fun."

-/-/-

Will hummed. “I’ll go get the player. You can get ready for bed if you want. The bathroom is in the first door on the right heading out of my room if you want a shower,” he said. Nico nodded slowly. Will yawned himself, it had been a pretty chaotic day, and he was feeling it. He was tired. He went back downstairs to dig up the old DVD player and find the movie he mentioned to Nico. Once he located it he made his way back upstairs, smiling when he heard the shower running. Hopefully Nico could start to settle down now.

Will set the player on his bed and pulled out his hearing aids, setting them on the charger. He could hear enough if Nico was beside him, and he’d seen the movie enough times to know what was happening without needing to hear it all. Besides, he could hear the music and action, it was just a bit harder to hear people talking when the noise around them was so much louder.

[ask-will-and-nico]

Did my ask go through? Sorry if it did and you're just overwhelmed haha

Yes! No worries, getting to it now!

[ask-will-and-nico]

After going upstairs to Will's old room, Nico sat on his bed and looked around at the sheer amount of... Stuff. Old baseball equipment, posters for Star Wars, Grease, even... Jurassic Park? "Didn't know you were into dinosaurs." Will shrugged. "Yeah, it's another spin of mine." ".... Spin?" Nico asked. "Yeah, short for 'special interest'."

“I’ve never heard that term,” Nico said. Will hummed and smiled. He’d come in a few minutes after Nico, grabbing some soft lounging pants to lay around in. “Yeah. I always thought the old CGI stuff was really cool. You know, now that we’re here, we can watch some movies and stuff. I can show you some of my favorites that we don’t have at camp,” he offered. Will sat on the bed next to Nico. He gently shoulder checked Nico and gave him a reassuring smile. He hoped Nico was feeling better now that they were at Naomi’s house. He seemed a little less tense, which Will was grateful for.

“Some movies might be…nice. Relaxing,” Nico said. Will nodded along. He was fairly certain his mom had a portable DVD player, and they could even watch movies in bed. “I’m glad. We have a little player too, we can get all snuggly in bed and set it up and watch a bunch of movies,” Will offered.

[ask-will-and-nico]

(sorry to ask but did you get my ask?)

Yes! I do have one ask in my inbox! Getting to it rn!

[ask-will-and-nico]

Will only got a little bit, since he already felt like he was about to pop, but it was still as amazing as ever. Nico tried some, and holy crap. Was it a bit sweeter than he was used to? Yes. Did he mind? Absolutely not. The caramelized pecans got stuck in his teeth, but he figured it just meant he could taste it for longer. Even the crust was good, and that was usually his least favorite part about pie. "Thank you, Miss. This is really good."

Naomi shook her head. “How many times do I have to tell you to call me Naomi, honey?” She asked. Nico shrugged, because he didn’t have an answer, because he wouldn’t call her by her first name. His mother would roll over in her grave if Nico ever called an older adult but their first name. Nico finished his piece too soon, and he mourned the loss for a second. “There’s plenty more in the fridge for either of you boys if you get hungry later. And I stocked up on snacks too. Help yourselves. Nothin’s off limits in this house, ‘cept any funny business,” Naomi said. Nico felt his cheeks warm up at the implications of that. And what it reminded him of. Will cleared Nico’s plate and took it to the sink, cleaning the dishes despite his mother telling him he didn’t have to. Will thanked her for the meal, and Nico did too.

[ask-will-and-nico]

"Yeah, I think that'd be best." Will stacked up his plate, and Nico did the same, though a bit more restrained. Naomi shook her head, smiling fondly. "You don't have to worry about takin' too much around me, honey." Nico swallowed his bite of macaroni and cheese. "I'm not, I'm just saving room for dessert."

“Smart boy,” Naomi said with a grin. “Always know the best is yet to come, hm? Well lucky you, I made pie.” Nico smiled. He hadn’t had Naomi’s pie before, but Will always spoke so highly of it, he assumed it would be as good as nectar. “Mama makes the best pies,” Will said with a smile. He shoveled his food into his mouth at a frightening pace, though all it took was a scolding from Naomi for him to duck his head and slow down. Nico snorted at the interaction. Will was always eating too fast at camp, eager to get back into the infirmary as fast as possible. Nico was constantly remind him to slow down, that he was going to make himself sick if he wasn’t careful.

By the time the pie came out of the oven, Will had already eaten too much, but he still insisted on a piece of pie. Nico, who had had a more conservative amount of food for dinner, was eager to try Naomi’s pie. “Now, it’s hot, boys,” Naomi warned, giving them each a piece of pie. “And don’t you worry about dishes after. I’m sure you’re both exhausted and ready for a nap. Or just to go to bed.”

[ask-will-and-nico]

When they were at the edge of camp, Nico summoned Jules, and didn't even feel too woozy afterwards. It was a really good pain day, barely a twinge the whole walk, and he couldn't help but marvel at his good luck so far. Will was honestly kind of sad to see that Nico was so relieved not to be in pain, that should be the default, but he had to remind himself that... Well, it wasn't the default for Nico. And as crappy as that was, they both needed to celebrate times where his pain was mild.

Will held Nico's hand tight, tracing the lines of his haphazard surgery. His new fingertips held tiny scars, and would never grow nails. Will wondered if Nico was insecure about that. They painted their nails sometimes together, not as a regular thing, but... Just on special events. Well, they'd talk about it later.

-

The two of them were on the road for a few hours, though Will had packed enough snacks that they didn't need to stop anywhere for food. Soon enough, they were at Naomi's house. She hugged Will and Nico tightly, ushering them inside. She'd made barbecue and pecan pie, which Nico had never actually had before. He was excited to try it.

-/-/-

Will was instantly more relaxed once they were at his mom’s. Nico seemed to be too, which was good. That had been the whole goal of traveling here. Naomi had food waiting for them once they stepped inside, and Will felt his chest warm with affection. “Thank you, Mama,” he said as she set plates in front of both Will and Nico. His mother smiled at him. “I got the guest room all set up, though I figure you boys’ll probably sleep together in Will’s room,” Naomi said with a knowing look. Will felt his cheeks warm, even if his mom was right about them sleeping together, it was still a little weird.

“Thank you, Ms. Solace,” Nico said softly. Since Will and Nico had been dating for years, Naomi had insisted that Nico just call her Naomi, but Nico down right refused, saying he would never cross his mother like that. Naomi always just huffed and said he didn’t need such strict manners around her. Will thought it was silently cute, the way Nico always put on his absolute best behavior when he was around Naomi, even if it wasn’t necessarily. “I’m sure you boys are tired, too. Why don’t you rest after you eat?”

[ask-will-and-nico]

heartbreaking:

girl has sooooooo many ambitions and ideas for projects but can only get 1.5 basic tasks done per day

[ask-will-and-nico]

there's no greater betrayal than finally starting to read a book you've had sitting for months on your shelf or your desk or your nightstand and then finding out it's bad. like. i gave you a fucking home.

[ask-will-and-nico]

Jason gave him a small, warm smile. “I love you, man. Be safe,” he said, gently bumping Nico’s shoulder with his fist. Nico nodded, swallowing hard as he suddenly felt tears prick his eyes. He still couldn’t trust his voice, but by the look in Jason’s eye, he knew exactly what Nico couldn’t say aloud in that moment, ‘I love you too. I’ll miss you.’ But Nico could only nod again before stepping back and away from the cabin, trying to control his breathing as he walked back to his own cabin. He didn’t expect Will to be there already, but if he was, Nico didn’t want to worry him even more than he already was.

Nico knew he was acting weird and seemed erratic. If he could get a hold of it though, they wouldn’t be leaving today. Will wasn’t waiting from him in his cabin, not yet, which gave Nico a moment to collect himself. He was thankful for that. It looked like Will had already packed their bags, so all Nico really had to do now was just wait. He could do that. In the meantime, maybe he could practice some of the breathing exercises Will had taught him. Nico wasn’t sure how much time had passed before there was a knock on the cabin door, and Will stepped inside. “Hey,” he said, giving Nico a reassuring smile. “You all ready to go? Both the kids in the infirmary are doing much better, by the way. They were sad to hear we were leaving for a little bit,” Will said. Nico ducked his head, but he nodded. The sooner they could head out, the better he would feel. “Alright,” Will said. He walked fully into the cabin and grabbed one of the backpacks off the floor, sliding the straps on.

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Jason woke up to knocking, and opened the door to find Nico in front of him. "Um, hi. I just, uh... Wanted to tell you I'm leaving. With Will, this time. Not sure when we'll be back, but I just wanted to tell you beforehand, to make sure you wouldn't be worried." Jason nodded. "Oh, thanks. Um... This... Wouldn't have anything to do with the, um... Aura incident, would it? Because I would never let him hurt you, no matter who he sends or what they say."

Nico faltered for a moment. “I just need to get out of the gods’ eyes for a little bit,” he finally settled on. “We’ve been planning on getting away for a while, but I woke up feeling so anxious this morning, we’ve decided to go today,” Nico explained. “And, I know you wouldn’t hurt me, but I don’t know who else he’s going to try and manipulate. Just…be on guard, okay? If he tries something else to get to you or tries someone else.” Nico shifted on his feet, like he was trying to find his balance. Really he was just trying to squash the urge to run away now without waiting for Will. That wouldn’t be fair. He’d promised not to do that a long time ago, and he wasn’t going to break that promise now. Things would be better once they got to Naomi’s, Nico knew they would. Jason nodded, opening his arms. It was a silent invitation for a hug, and one Nico was grateful for. He wrapped his arms around Jason tight, holding onto him for a long moment before stepping back. “Be safe. Don’t hesitate to call if you need me, or you just want to talk,” Jason said softly. Nico nodded, not trusting his voice.

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Nico pursed his lips and looked towards the cabins. “I should probably go talk to Jason,” he said. Jason was his best friend, and he wanted Jason to know that he was feeling off, especially since Zeus was trying to use him to escape. Jason still didn’t know the full extent of what his father had done to Nico—he just knew that he’d attacked him—and Nico wondered if going into detail would help prevent Jason from falling for any mind tricks that Zeus might try to use. Then again, Nico trusted Jason. Would he really need to spill his guts to assure Jason’s loyalty? “Hey,” Will said, squeezing his hand. “Stay with me.” Nico gave him a strained smile. “Sorry,” he said. He hadn’t realized he’d gotten so lost in thought.

“I can come with you to Jason’s cabin, or not if you want privacy, I’m just worried about you wandering off right now,” Will said honestly. He seemed so spacey and far-off, Will was worried that the moment he let go of Nico’s hand he’d become untethered. “I’m not a baby,” Nico mumbled. Will hummed softly and nodded. “I know you’re not, but you’re pretty spacey right now. I just want to make sure you don’t get taken by a stray harpy or an overzealous dryad,” he added. Nico huffed, but he didn’t say anything else. “I think I want to talk to Jason myself,” Nico said. Will nodded slowly. He could go to the infirmary and check everything over one last time, and check on those two kids and make sure they were doing alright. “Okay, I’ll meet you back at your cabin. I should probably swing by my cabin and make sure I have enough clothes and everything,” Will said. He was probably talking to himself again already, Nico was likely zoned out already, lost in his own thoughts. Will squeezed his hand gently until Nico eventually nodded, and Will kissed him on the forehead before they parted ways. He trusted Nico, and he just hoped getting out of camp soon would fix things. He was probably putting a little bit too much blind faith in it, but he was running out of options.

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Other campers snickered when they saw his hickeys, and he couldn’t help but preen slightly at the attention. It was probably stupid, but Will was possessive, and he couldn’t help the fact that he loved being marked up by his boyfriend and that people knew it. Nico, luckily, didn’t notice other people’s reactions because he probably would have been embarrassed. They grabbed their food and went out to the strawberry fields to have a picnic so they could be away from everyone else. It was slightly chilly outside, but the sun was really warming everything up. Nico was still jumpy, so Will figured a relaxing brunch might help. He hoped that getting some food into Nico would help him in general. Maybe he just had really low blood sugar.

“Feels like everyone is looking at us,” Nico mumbled. Will frowned, glancing around. He didn’t see anyone around them, but maybe Nico was talking about earlier, when they grabbed breakfast. “‘S okay, there’s not anyone up here looking at us,” Will said. He’d grabbed a bagel and was smearing cream cheese on it. Nico had a bowl of fruit, which was good. Will hoped he could get some fats and protein into him too, to hopefully help him feel more like himself. He put a piece of sausage on Nico’s plate, who, thankfully, didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, didn’t say anything about it. Once they finished their food, Will guided Nico to the big house, so they could tell Chiron about their updated plans. Will wanted to check on the two sick campers one last time, and then they could pack their bags and head out. Nico still seemed like he was going to vibrate out of his own skin at any second, and Will didn’t know if that was premonition or just Nico’s anxiety tripping him up. Chiron, thankfully, seemed understanding of the situation, and didn’t make a fuss about them leaving suddenly. “Do you want to go with me to check on the kids one last time before we leave or do you want to go to your cabin and start packing?” Will offered. He hoping giving Nico the control to pick what he did would help him feel more stable.

[ask-will-and-nico]

hey sorry i sent an continuation in yesterday and was just wondering if it went through? if not, i’ll send it again. thanks!

Aw, thanks for checking! There’s nothing in the inbox!

[ask-will-and-nico]

Will came out of the bathroom a few minutes later and smiled at Nico. “She said we’re good to go whenever. She already has a guest room waiting for us,” he said. Nico lost a little bit of tension from his shoulders, nodding. “That’s nice of her,” Nico said. Will nodded and pulled Nico in for a hug, sensing that he could use it. “Let’s get some food so we can take our meds, okay?” Will suggested. Nico nodded.

Will kissed Nico’s forehead, grabbing a jacket off the chair by the door. It wasn’t particularly cold at camp yet, it was still too early for true cold weather, but it was a bit chilly, and Will didn’t want either of them to catch a cold. “We can check with Chiron after breakfast and make sure the infirmary is good to go, and then we can come back and pack, yeah?” Will offered. Nico nodded again. Will wished he could take away whatever was bugging Nico so much, but it seemed like leaving camp was the only thing that was really going to help him relax. Will was sure he could dig into that more, find something specific to use as a label for Nico’s anxiety, but he didn’t want to. He just wanted to make things easier for Nico. He was thankful his mom was so understanding and didn’t have a problem with them just showing up tonight. (He didn’t think she would, but he was raised to be polite and considerate and he’d never show up without asking first.) Will hummed softly as they made their way, hand in hand, to the dining pavilion. Will supposed it was nice, for once, that there was only a handful of year-round campers. Not only would they likely not be bothered at breakfast, but that gave Will more confidence in leaving the infirmary without him for an extended amount of time.

[ask-will-and-nico]

Now, though, he knew that Will would be coming with him. He didn’t need to just up and leave. He could wait for Will to prepare for whatever he needed to. It would be fine. Everything would be fine. They finished their shower and went back to the bedroom. They still needed to change the sheets and wash the ones on the bed, but first they both needed to get dressed. Nico started to feel a little bit better once he was clean and dressed and Will seemed to notice he was slightly more calm. “I’m gonna call my mom, okay?” Will said, kissing Nico’s forehead. Nico nodded. He’d change the sheets out while Will did that.

It always helped Nico to stay busy, keep his hands moving to keep from falling into a spiral in his thoughts. He worked methodically and carefully to strip the bed, putting the sheets on a pile on the floor. He went over to the closet and pulled out a fresh set of sheets, a light gray instead of a dark red this time. His sheets still lived up to the vampire ideology that he’d had as a little kid, but he had to keep some kind of an aesthetic, and the darker colors hide stains better. Nico carefully tucked each corner in, he may not be in a military academy anymore, or living with his mother, but the lessons of tight sheets stuck with him. He brushed out the wrinkles, hearing Will speaking softly through the closed bathroom door. He hadn’t considered that Naomi may not want them to come today. Maybe it was too soon, or she wasn’t ready for them yet, but Nico hoped that wasn’t the case. He wanted out of camp, and he wanted out today. He hadn’t realized he was smoothing out the same corner on the fitted sheet for several minutes until he looked down. Maybe he could talk to Will about taking a higher dose of his anxiety medicine today. He felt like he was really going to need it.

[ask-will-and-nico]

Nico nodded slowly and Will gently turned them so Nico was under the spray of the water. He gently tilted Nico’s head back to wet his hair and had him step forward again before grabbing the shampoo. He lathered, rinsed, and repeated while Nico closed his eyes and leaned into Will’s touch. Will put conditioner in Nico’s hair and they switched spots so Nico could wash his body while the conditioner sat for a bit and Will washed his body. Nico never used to bother with conditioner, but Will insisted once he found out, and once Nico realized how much softer it made his hair, he’d used it ever since.

Nico should return the favor, but Will was considerably taller than Nico, and it was hard for him to wash Will’s hair without Will leaning down or him making a bit of a mess. It really only seemed to work when Will was in the bath, or when Will was too exhausted to bathe and Nico could convince him just to wash the blood out of his hair. Will never seem to mind though, and hummed while he washed his own hair. Nico just stood in the steam, trying to make himself feel as normal as he possibly could. He could hardly explain to Will how weird he felt now, on edge, like the next bad thing was just around the corner. Nico closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around his chest. “Time to rinse,” Will said, tapping Nico’s shoulder. Nico opened his eyes and nodded, stepping back under the spray. Will’s hands were calloused and rough in his hair, but he was gentle in his movements, which helped unwind the anxiety in Nico’s chest. He wished he could put into words how he felt, but Will seemed to get the gist. He placed a soft kiss on the shell of Nico’s ear, and Nico shivered. He was feeling itchy under the skin, like he had way back when he’d run away from Camp the first time. Like he just needed to get away. Nico had learned though, over the years, to communicate before he just ran away, after the first half dozen times he didn’t and got a good scolding from Will.